Managing nutrients across regions of the United States

Nutrient balance in the ecosystem involves profitability of the agricultural enterprise and commitments to resource management to maintain quality of air, water, and land resources. Phosphorus and N are the two nutrients of major concern, and they behave differently in soils. Most P adheres strongly to soil particles and moves laterally with the soil during erosion processes, but with high concentrations more P remains in soluble forms and moves in the water fraction. Most N is soluble and moves laterally or downward with soil water. Soil scientists and agronomists have researched soil processes, plant nutrition, cropping systems, and water quality issues mainly on a field and farm level, but now the movement is to management and regulation of nonpoint problems on a watershed basis as proposed in the Clean Water Action Plan. The plan recognizes the vast diversity of soil parent materials and climates among geographic areas, even among and within watersheds, that determine crop adaptation and cropping systems, the role of states in regulatory processes, and the need for local citizens to have operational involvement. This process insures that nutrient management guidelines will be more site-specific and solutions can be focused on the direct problem. Directed efforts will be needed to educate local citizens, landowners, and caretakers of agricultural enterprises, and regulatory agencies. Several factors, including economic and social incentives for implementation must be considered along with the technologies available. The solutions are multidisciplinary, will require long-term research to accommodate climate variation, and should be associated with a strong commitment to education. Public funding will be needed to support the effort.