In a first for the BASIS Agronomy Matters Podcast, this episode has been produced in collaboration with Championing the Farmed Environment (CFE), a partnership which supports farmers to deliver environmental benefits within a productive farming business. This episode was therefore co-hosted by Greg Hopkinson from BASIS and Ellenor Litobarski from CFE. The key topic for this podcast was water quality, looking at how we can manage the movement of soil and water in order to protect watercourses and the wider environment. Our three guests each provided a unique perspective on the impacts agriculture and food production can have on water quality, and what we can do to tackle these issues.
Firstly we spoke to Kelly Hewson-Fisher, Catchment Adviser for Anglian Water. Kelly explained what challenges water companies face, and how they are working with farmers to help tackle these issues, for example a collaborative research project in the Great Eau Catchment. If you would like to find out more about the work Anglian Water are doing then please visit their website.
We were then joined by Colin Peters, Break Crops Specialist at NIAB, who gave the perspective of a farmer and agronomist on why it is so important that we reduce the risk of soil erosion and pesticide pollution impacting water quality.
And finally we spoke to Helen Cheshire, Senior Farming Adviser at the Woodland Trust. Helen explained how integrating tree planting into the agricultural landscape can help mitigate soil erosion and protect the wider environment.
For our BASIS Professional Register Members please listen to the end of this episode to find out how to claim one CPD point.