They are keen to know that these investments are making a difference but to date no one has been able to answer that question with any certainty.
With sediment included in the current water reforms, it's increasingly on the national radar and particularly relevant to the debate around exclusion of livestock from waterways.
So understanding the complexity of natural erosion processes, and what works and doesn't work to control sediment on-farm, is ever more important.
There is also work to do on the 'nitrogen cycle', the natural process that links nitrogen in air, water and soil.
Knowing how this works is necessary to meeting our goals for water quality and emissions of the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide.
Different bits of the nitrogen cycle are often studied in isolation but scientists agree that we need more work on the cycle as a whole. As it is, there are some significant gaps in our knowledge.
These critically impact environmental management, with farmers regularly wearing the results of inadequate data.
We also need more fundamental research on native fish, both from the water quality and biodiversity perspectives.
This will help us work out how best to provide for native fish habitat and agricultural use.
Federated Farmers has also been working alongside researchers who want to crossbreed rye grass with some of its wild relatives.
The aim is to produce rye grass varieties that need less water and fertiliser, are highly productive, adapted for different micro-climates and resistant to disease.
This work could transform the quality and resilience of pasture, while giving farmers another way to shrink their environmental footprint.
'Knowledge is power' as they say. In this case, it's the power to do more, use less and keep our competitive edge on the world stage.