Agriculture is Disproportionately Blamed for Fertilizer Runoff
The Importance of Management
Mismanagement and overapplication of nutrients can occur in any scenario where fertilizer is applied to soils to increase plant growth. In the southeast US region, for example, nutrient loading through runoff due to fertilizer application has led to algal blooms and eutrophication in the Gulf of Mexico. Nutrient runoff is commonly associated to operations in rural settings, but in urban settings the application of fertilizer to lawns and golf courses has also been identified as a significant source of nutrient loading to US waters.
Misplaced Blame – Homeowners Contribute Ten Times More
The application of synthetic fertilizers in row-crop agriculture has been commonly associated with the increased levels of nutrients in US water bodies which can lead to impaired waters. However, the EPA estimates that homeowners use 10 times as much fertilizer per acre than farmers do on crops. This is caused by the impractical desire for homeowners to maintain lush, green lawns that provide little to no food or fiber to their communities.
Farmers Have Incentives to Use as Little as Possible
Alternatively, farmers are incentivized to use as little fertilizer as possible to reach their yield goals as the cost of fertilizers keeps rising. From 1986 to 2022, fertilizer prices have increased by over 250% with a 28% increase in 2021 caused by COVID-19 supply chain issues. This highlights a major difference between rural and urban fertilizer use as farmers have adopted more efficient use of fertilizer due to rising input costs.[MR1]
Right Source, Right Rate, Right Place, Right Time
As farmers have become reliant on inputs such as synthetic fertilizer, the constant increases in prices have led to the adoption of practices that focus on proper nutrient application based on the four tenants of applying nutrients from the right source, at the right rate, at the right place, and at the right time. By following the four Rs of nutrient application, farmers can cut back on fertilizer use by increasing the efficiency of their applications.
Agronomy Services
AGPROfessionals offers agronomy services including fertilizer application recommendations. Protecting our growers as well as our environment is important. This is why we apply the principles of the four Rs of nutrient management to all our agronomic recommendations. Our highly trained agronomists are experts in making recommendations for fertilizer and manure applications to help growers reach their desired yield goals while reducing their environmental impact.
Link to AGDaily article about urban run-off HERE