Nitrogen leaching from cut and carry Lucerne February 2015

Water in lake Taupo is deteriorating due to increasing nitrogen levels. To maintain water quality, the Waikato Regional Council ‘s Regional Plan (which outlines the nitrogen discharge allowance for each farm in this region) has adopted a catchment-wide target of a 20% reduction in manageable-N entering the lake. The target is challenging and farmers are now looking for economically viable, low N-loss options for land use.