Soil quality evaluation and monitoring is an important tool in developing and refining conservation practices. Ongoing extension and technology transfer initiatives have also helped producers to adopt soil conservation practices. The Centre for Land and Biological Resources Research estimates that the implementation of these and other practices has reduced the risk of wind erosion on the prairies by seven per cent between 1981 and 1991 and reduced soil losses by water erosion by 11 per cent in Canada over the same time period. In Quebec, the need to reduce the potential for nutrient leaching from improper fertilizer use is being addressed by the establishment of a consortium of all major parties involved in fertilizer production and placement. The consortium will develop nutrient application criteria as well as nutrient benchmarks to monitor leaching potential.
Land management is an important integrator.
The role of effective land management in tackling other resource based challenges is discussed in the following sections. Conserve and manage agricultural lands for sustainable use. Amongst the emerging environmental challenges, perhaps the most prominent concern across the country is water quality. Health and safety standards, increasing competition for clean reliable sources of water and heightened awareness of the potential effects of agricultural practices on water quality are responsible for raising the profile of water management issues. Currently, water pollution represents the greatest environmental challenge for producers.