NESP TWQ Project 2.1.8: On-Farm Nitrogen Management and Water Quality, 2016-2018

NESP TWQ Project 2.1.8 data from the Australian Ocean Data Network focuses on reducing nitrogen fertilizer use in sugarcane farming to improve water quality for the Great Barrier Reef. The project tests strategies like production unit yield potential and enhanced efficiency fertilizers at identified nitrogen loss 'hot spots'. It includes productivity, economic, and environmental indicators to validate strategies for reducing surplus nitrogen.

Use Cases

• Modeling the relationship between fertilizer application rates and water quality outcomes based on the described farm trials.
• Evaluating the economic and environmental trade-offs of enhanced efficiency fertilizers compared to standard fertilizers.
• Identifying geographic 'hot spots' for nitrogen loss to target mitigation efforts in reef catchments.

Strengths

• Project is grounded in a specific agricultural context, noting the sugar industry occupies 350,000 hectares in Reef catchments.
• Addresses a quantified environmental issue, citing 58,000 tonnes of nitrogen fertilizer applied in 2014.
• Focuses on validating practical strategies like production unit yield potential and enhanced efficiency fertilizers.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data may reflect geographic bias inherent to data_gov_au, focusing on Great Barrier Reef catchments.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Combined with existing farm trials at identified nitrogen loss 'hot spots'.

Time Range

2016-2018

Freshness

Last updated 2026-07-10 21:32:23.147443; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Great Barrier Reef catchments, Australia