Managing Agricultural Phosphorus for Environmental Protection

Abstract

Phosphorus (P) originating from agriculture has long been recognized as a surface water pollutant. Best management practices (BMPs) designed to prevent P loss must be site-specific to be effective for water quality protection. This chapter provides an overview of BMPs that are well established as tools for controlling point and nonpoint source P pollution from agriculture. BMPs are viewed primarily as practices that are implemented, sometimes involuntarily, to reduce nonpoint source pollution. Successful BMP adoption should result in cost-effective reductions in nutrient losses and prevent nutrient buildup in soils to values of environmental concern. The guiding principles for agricultural P management remain the same today as in the past: provide adequate P for economically optimum crop yields and prevent movement of P from land to water.