Assessment of the Finnish Agriculture 2000 Program: Effects on Nutrient Losses

A governmental committee has prepared a long-term programme (Agriculture 2000) concerning future agricultural policy in Finland. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of these measures, mainly fallowing and reforestation, on nonpoint nutrient loads to watercourses. The work was mainly based on the use of a continuous simulation model, CREAMS. Using this model we estimated the relative effect of different management practices. Depending on the fallowing practice, the total amount of agricultural nonpoint nutrient load can increase by 15% or more, if fallowing is carried out by bare soil practices. If only green fallow is used, the nutrient load remains approximately at the level of normal cereal cultivation. It is recommended that fallowed fields not be located on permeable soils because of the risk of N leaching and not on steep slopes because of the high erosion and P losses. A reforestation programme planned in Finland could reduce the nutrient loads by 5-10%