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AgriBenchmark: Benchmarking Sustainable Nutrient Management on Irish Farms
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Date
2020-10-14
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Abstract
AgriBenchmark explored the possibilities for
benchmarking of nutrient management performance
on Irish farms. Teagasc National Farm Survey
(NFS) data (2008–2015; 1446 farms) were used to
characterise and explore the potential for improvement
of farm nutrient management performance and
resultant aspects of environmental and economic
sustainability through the derivation of three key
performance indicators (KPIs) at the farm-gate level:
farm nutrient balance (kgha–1), nutrient use efficiency
(NUE; %) and profitability (gross margin; €ha–1). In
this report, the farm nutrient balance is defined as the
farm-gate nutrient imports (fertiliser, feed, animals,
etc.) minus the exports (animals, crops, wool and
milk). A positive balance (surplus) is considered to
represent a nutrient source pressure in terms of the
risk of nutrient losses to the wider environment. The
data and analyses in this report cover the main, more
intensive agricultural systems in Ireland (excluding
pig and poultry farms) and are representative of, on
average, 61% of farms nationally and 76% of the total
utilised agriculture area (UAA; excluding commonage).