Effekter av bevattningsdamm på Gårdstånga Nygård

Sammanfattning: In the agriculture industry in the south of Sweden decreased water availability and longer growing season is expected due to climate change. By storing water resources during fall and winter, when natural water supply is high, the increased irrigation demand can be met. Stored water can be used to irrigate crops during spring and summer, ensuring food production. Longer growing season is likely to increase use of fertilizers in agriculture, necessitating nutrient retention in the landscape to achieve Swedish environmental ambitions. At Gårdstånga Nygård, a farm outside of Lund in the south of Sweden, an irrigation pond has recently been constructed to meet irrigation needs and reduce nutrient leakage. This thesis examines whether the purposes of the pond are achieved by analysis of water samples from the pond and the nearby watercourse Rödabäck. The irrigation supply in the pond is investigated by establishing a water balance. The findings of this study suggests that overall water quality in the pond is acceptable. If an unchanged water level in the pond is desired, the irrigation supply is determined by the accumulated change in storage over a specific period. Over the course of one year in the measuring series, the irrigation supply totaled 20 300 m3.