Mitigating Phosphorus Movement From Agricultural Fields.

The objectives of this study were to evaluate if the implementation of best management practices (BMPs) could reduce the amount of dissolved reactive phosphorus (DRP) and total P lost via surface runoff from a fertilizer application. Within each of two tillage treatments, BMPs were evaluated. In the tillage plots, the fertilizer was either incorporated or left on the surface. In the no-till plots, either a cover crop was established, or the soil was covered with crop residue.. Within all four treatments, there were two fertilizers sources, poultry litter and diammonium phosphate (DAP), and a control. The experiment was conducted at two sites in Ohio with similar results. In the tillage plots, the incorporation of DAP decreased the dissolved P concentration compared with DAP left on the surface. Surface application in the no-till fields with cover crops did not appear to reduce the export of dissolved P for either fertilizer source.