Summary: Since the mid-1990s, the frequency and extent of algal blooms and loadings of dissolved phosphorus (P) in the Western Lake Erie Basin (WLEB) have been on increasing trends. Agricultural crop management has been identified as a primary source of P to the Lake. Over the past 2-3 years, educational programs directed at growers and nutrient service providers (e.g., agricultural retailers, crop advisers) have emphasized principles of 4R Nutrient Stewardship, and a 4R certification program for nutrient service providers in the WLEB has been developed and planned for roll-out in March 2014. The overall goal of the proposed project is to evaluate the specific impacts of the adoption of practices associated with 4R Nutrient Stewardship, and the impact of the WLEB 4R Certification Program itself, on crop productivity and profitability, water quality, and perceptions of growers, nutrient service providers, and residents in the WLEB. A multidisciplinary approach is proposed involving monitoring, modeling, and measurement of the impacts at the field, watershed, and lake scales.
Additional information about the project can be found on the 4R Project Website and in the following farmer survey reports: 4R Wave 1 Farmer Survey Report and 4R Wave 2 Farmer Survey Report.
Funded by the 4R Research Fund Project #4RN-09
Publications
Walpole, H., and R.S. Wilson. In revision. “Encouragement from the right source: Evaluating the impact of the 4R nutrient stewardship certification program”. Submitted to: Journal of Environmental Quality.
Wilson, R.S., M. Beetstra, J.M. Reutter, G. Hesse, K.M. DeVanna Fussell, L.T. Johnson, K.W. King, G.A. LaBarge, J.F. Martin, and C. Winslow. 2019. “Commentary: Achieving phosphorus reduction targets for Lake Erie”. Journal of Great Lakes Research, 45(1): 4-11.
Beetstra, M.A., R.S. Wilson, and M. Doidge. 2022. “Conservation behavior over time: Examining a Midwestern farmer sample”. Land Use Policy, 115 (106002), ISSN 0264-8377, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2022.106002.
Wilson, R.S., D. Schlea, C. Boles, and T. Redder. 2018. “Using models of farmer behavior to inform eutrophication policy in the Great Lakes.” Water Research, 139(1): 38-46
H. Seeger and R.S. Wilson. 2019. “Diffusion of innovations and public communication campaigns: An examination of the 4R Nutrient Stewardship program”. Journal of Applied Communication, 103(2).