Lead organisation
Partner organisation
Project details
Beneath our feet, chalk aquifers hold water that sustains communities, farms and landscapes. Protecting that water means finding better ways to farm above it. That’s the challenge driving the Woodgarston Nitrate Efficiency Trials.
Led by South East Water, with FWAG South East and Paul-Tech, the project is testing how we can make better use of nitrate in agriculture—reducing the risk to groundwater while keeping farms productive. Through a series of field trials, the project is building a clearer picture of what influences nitrate use efficiency, and which approaches can deliver real change on the ground.
The project began in 2025, with the first season of trials now successfully completed. Preparations are underway for further agricultural trials in 2026–27, alongside FWAG South East. The work is also extending to a farm in East Sussex, helping test whether the findings can be applied across different chalk landscapes.
This is about turning evidence into action. The ambition is to develop a practical blueprint for protecting chalk groundwater catchments—one that farmers, water companies and partners can use to make informed decisions and deliver change together. The project is continuing to build partnerships and explore opportunities for joint funding, bringing more knowledge, resources and shared purpose to the challenge.
Project location
The project is centred on the Woodgarston catchment, around five kilometres north-west of Basingstoke in Hampshire. Here, a deep chalk aquifer sits beneath a predominantly rural landscape, with arable farming covering around 76% of the catchment.
A farm in East Sussex, also situated above chalk, is part of the trials too—helping broaden the evidence and test whether approaches can work across different regions.
Fit with the Big Chalk Programme
Healthy chalk landscapes depend on healthy water systems. This project is helping uncover how we can protect groundwater while continuing to grow food and support thriving farms.
By bringing together water expertise, agricultural knowledge, technology and the experience of local land managers, the trials are building practical evidence for more efficient nitrate use. Strong engagement across the Woodgarston catchment builds on a decade of work and local support for improving nitrate efficiency.
The ambition is to take that learning further: turning local evidence into a blueprint that can help protect chalk groundwater catchments more widely. It’s a collaborative approach to a shared challenge—bringing farmers, water companies and partners together to find solutions that work for farming, water and the wider chalk landscape.
Do you have a project that could strengthen the future of southern England’s iconic chalk and limestone landscapes?
The Big Chalk programme brings together a dynamic suite of partner-led projects, each unique in its focus, area, and partnerships but sharing a commitment to our collective vision.
If your project contributes to the Big Chalk mission, we invite you to register it as a Big Chalk Project. Registered projects gain access to networking, shared learning, and best practice—alongside the Big Chalk brand, boosting your profile and connecting you to a powerful, growing network of partners.
Together, these projects form a united effort to secure the future of southern England’s chalk and limestone landscapes, making a lasting impact for nature and communities.