IMPLEMENTATION OF THE WATER FRAMEWORK DIRECTIVE IN GERMANY - RESEARCH AND ADVICE NEEDS

Abstract

The directive 2000/60/EC (water framework directive) aims at achieving good quality of surface and groundwater in whole EC within 15 years. In the state Rhineland-Palatinate (Federal Republic of Germany), it was estimated that 47% of the surface water bodies and 31% of the groundwater bodies will not achieve this environmental goal. Particularly regarding soil water, this is mainly caused by nitrate leaching from agricultural soils. To improve N efficiency in agriculture we recommend development of integrated nitrogen management strategies which may contribute to reduced nitrate leaching and protection of ground water in various production systems. We present examples, showing that both is necessary, advice of farmers to make use of well known tools to improve N efficiency (e.g. modern N fertilizer recommendation systems) as well as research to develop new approaches to influence nitrogen cycles in soil (e.g. to improve N transfer from crop residues to succeeding crops in the rotation).