Ontario Grain Farmer February 2021

ONTARIO GRAIN FARMER 15 FEBRUARY 2021 This article features research funded by Grain Farmers of Ontario. “Even though in most years most phosphorus is lost from tile drains in Essex, one year we had a big snow melt in March in Essex when we lost so much from surface flow that it blew everything else out of the water. It was pretty substantial,” says Macrae. “Both surface and tile drainage still need to be considered everywhere.” ON-FARM IMPACTS Practical loss-reducing recommendations are now being developed based on this research — but since the characteristics of every farm and field vary, they will be more general than specific. Regionally-relevant guidelines, that is, are the winning strategy. “We’re trying to move away from blanket [best management practice] recommendations,” says Macrae. “We need to optimize what we recommend based on the landscapes the farmers are in. You never want to steer things in a direction that would not be helpful or not work for farmers.” The researchers add good communication and trust has been critical in co-developing solutions. Preliminary recommendations are set to be released in May 2021, and these will be built upon refined loss- mitigation strategies. This project was funded by the Canadian Agriculture Partnership, a five-year federal-provincial-territorial initiative. l