A global perspective on the history of phosphorus management decision support approaches in agriculture: Lessons learned and directions for the future

Authors: DROHAN, PATRICK - Pennsylvania State University; BECHMANN, MARIANNE - Norwegian Institute Of Bioeconomy Research(NIBIO); Buda, Anthony; DJODJIC, FARUK - Swedish University Of Agricultural Sciences; DOODY, DONNACHA - Agri-Food And Biosciences Institute; DUNCAN, JONATHAN - Pennsylvania State University; IHO, ANTTI - National Institute For Health And Welfare (HELSINKI); JORDAN, PHIL - University Of Ulster; MCDOWELL, RICHARD - Agresearch; MELANDER, PER-ERIK - Consultant; THOMAS, IAN - Dublin City University; WITHERS, PAUL - Lancaster University

Submitted to: Journal of Environmental Quality
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/9/2019
Publication Date: 8/15/2019
Citation: Drohan, P., Bechmann, M., Buda, A.R., Djodjic, F., Doody, D., Duncan, J.M., Iho, A., Jordan, P., Mcdowell, R., Melander, P., Thomas, I., Withers, P. 2019. A global perspective on the history of phosphorus management decision support approaches in agriculture: Lessons learned and directions for the future. Journal of Environmental Quality. (48):1218-1233. https://acsess.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.2134/jeq2019.03.0107.

Interpretive Summary: Phosphorus management decision support tools are increasingly seen as a critical component of agricultural sustainability in the twenty-first century. In this paper, we reviewed national applications of decision support tools in agricultural phosphorus management across several OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) countries, including New Zealand, the United States, Northern Ireland, and the Nordic countries of Norway, Sweden, and Finland. The review contributed to a special collection of papers commemorating the 350th anniversary of the discovery of phosphorus. Findings from the review highlight many opportunities for improving decision support tools in phosphorus management, including better integration of social sciences for enhanced adoption of decision support tools by farmers, as well as harnessing “big data” to more effectively and sustainably manage all facets of the agricultural phosphorus cycle.

Technical Abstract: The evolution of phosphorus (P) management decision support tools (DSTs) and systems (DSS), in support of food and environmental security, has been most strongly affected in developed regions by national strategies to (1) optimize levels of plant available P in agricultural soils, and (2) mitigate P runoff to water bodies. In the United States, Western Europe and New Zealand, combinations of regulatory and voluntary strategies, sometimes backed by economic incentives, have often been driven by reactive legislation to protect water bodies. Farmer-specific DSSs, either based on modeling of P transfer source and transport mechanisms, or when coupled with farm-specific information or local knowledge, have typically guided best practices, education and implementation. Yet applying DSSs in data poor catchments and/or where user adoption is poor hampers the effectiveness of these systems. Recent developments, focused on integrated digital mapping of hydrologically sensitive areas and critical source areas, sometimes using real-time data and weather forecasting, have rapidly advanced runoff modelling and education. Advances in technology related to monitoring, imaging, sensors, remote sensing and analytical instrumentation will facilitate the development of DSSs that can predict heterogeneity over wider geographical areas. However, significant challenges remain in developing DSSs that incorporate “big data” in a format that is acceptable to users, and that adequately accounts for catchment variability, farming systems, and farmer behavior. Future efforts will undoubtedly focus on improving efficiency and conserving phosphate rock reserves in the face of future scarcity or prohibitive cost. Most importantly, the principles reviewed here are critical for sustainable agriculture.