Potential Reasons of Increased New England States Phosphorus Pollution: A Review.

The New England comprises of Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Connecticut. The major crop in New England states is the potato that includes ~ 36422 ha agriculture land with an average production of 38 t ha^-1, which also includes Rhode Island organic potato production with a mean yield of 18 t ha^-1. In Maine, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has raised concerns over the non-point source of phosphorus (P), e.g. agriculture that is increasing the concentration of P in nearby water bodies. Potato growers tend to apply access P than recommended to compensate any P loss due to high rainfall after planting (figure). In Maine, 58,000 tons of chemical fertilizer was used over more than 101,171 ha of land, which mostly includes crops such as potatoes, apple, blueberry, and forage. In recent years, developing economic nitrogen (N) recommendations has been found effective in reducing P rate application. However, there is strong need to reduce P application rates, not due to economic reason but its severe impact on water life. Phosphorus (P) requirement for soil to produce optimum crop yield is different depending on soil types and climate conditions. Excess soil P has the tendency to bind with iron (Fe) or aluminum (Al) in acidic soils and with calcium (Ca) in alkaline soils. Once the bond is formed, many of these compounds have found low water solubility and are poor sources of P for the crop. Also, the dollar spent P application could go in waste if soil eroded where P-laden particles may carry near water streams. This erosion of the P can accelerate algal blooms. The potential issues with P are sufficient soil P in soils for optimum crop yield, P recommendations from non-responsive sites, the gap between P application rate and crop P removal, and discrepancies in soil P testing.