To receive an overview and to take questions; the ‘Total Phosphorus Soil Testing Pilot - Project Report’ is attached.

[Dan Smith, Herefordshire Rural Hub; 10 minutes]

Kate Speke Adams (Herefordshire Rural Hub) delivered the presentation Total P Testing Pilot (link), with the slide headings: Background and rationale; Approach taken; Key findings; More questions than answers…; and What next?.  The agenda pack included the paper Total Phosphorus Soil Testing Pilot - Project Report (link).

The Chairperson made a number of comments, including: the project was commended and the participants were thanked for their contributions; multiple related strands of research and work were emerging which needed to be joined up, such as collaborative efforts in terms of location testing; and there was a need to look at issues holistically, including the significance of nutrient accumulation.

Louise Bodnar commented on established scientific principles in terms of how legacy phosphate could be accessed for soil health enhancement and queried whether this could be communicated to farmers.  Kate Speke Adams commented that many farmers were adopting regenerative practices and had active soils, but there were limitations in quantifying the effects of measures in the short-term and, given the urgency around river water quality, there was a need to understand what should be prioritised.  There was a brief discussion about interrelating factors and ways to deliver the most effective results.  Dan Smith acknowledged the importance of holistic approaches but noted that outcomes also depended on specific management decisions in relation to local soil types.

The Chairperson commented on opportunities to deliver both environmental and financial benefits.