Harmony
The Harmony Project
Harmony is catchment based project that integrates research on soils and hydrology with socio-economic factors to derive locally relevant measures for agriculture in sensitive catchments. The project is funded under the DAFM Stimulus fund and will provide research at post-graduate and post-doctorate level in catchment and socio-economic science. Harmony is a collaborative project led by Teagasc research scientists from Johnstown Castle and Athenry, and in partnership with scientists from the University of Ulster, NUI Galway and AFBI.
Objectives and tasks
The overall objective of the project is to provide strategies for nutrient management in sensitive catchments. To achieve this, the project will work within a number of case-study catchments to assess current nutrient management and farm practice in these areas (Task 2: farm survey). A review of measures for sensitive catchments will also be carried out and a preliminary list of measures will be drafted. The research element of the project will focus on optimising nutrient efficiency in the predominant soils in these areas (Task 3) and investigating the relationship between landuse change, hydrology and decline in high status (Task 4). The outcomes of these tasks will be evaluated alongside a preliminary list of measures and a second and wider survey will explore the acceptance of additional measures and willingness to change (Task 5) among the farming community in these areas. The project aims to propose management options and measures for agriculture that are locally relevant. It will engage with farmers through survey and discussion groups to evaluate the likelihood of adoption of new measures among the farming community.
Project team
Principal Investigator:
- Karen Daly, ESLU Johnstown Castle, Wexford.
Project Partners:
- Mary Ryan, REDP, Athenry
- Prof. Philip Jordan, University of Ulster at Coleraine
- Dr. Mark Healy, NUI Galway
- Dr. Donnacha Doody, AFBI Newforge Lane, Belfast