Open AccessPhosphorus and Soil Health Management Practices
Author(s) -
Duncan Emily W.,
Osmond Deanna L.,
Shober Amy L.,
Starr Laura,
Tomlinson Peter,
Kovar John L.,
Moorman Thomas B.,
Peterson Heidi M.,
Fiorellino Nicole M.,
Reid Keith
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
agricultural and environmental letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.681
H-Index - 12
ISSN - 2471-9625
DOI - 10.2134/ael2019.04.0014
Subject(s) - soil health , tillage , surface runoff , soil conservation , environmental science , nutrient management , soil quality , cover crop , soil management , strip till , business , nutrient , environmental resource management , no till farming , agroforestry , agriculture , agronomy , soil water , soil organic matter , soil fertility , ecology , soil science , biology
Core Ideas Trade‐offs exist in nutrient losses for soil health management. Combining soil health practices and other BMPs can exacerbate or mitigate P losses. There are limitations of soil health practices and reducing P losses. Educators should discuss BMP trade‐offs associated with P loss.Soil health has gained widespread attention in agronomic and conservation communities due to its many purported benefits, including claims that implementation of core soil health practices (e.g., conservation tillage, cover crops) will improve water quality by curtailing runoff losses of nutrients such as phosphorus (P). However, a review of the existing literature points to well‐established findings regarding trade‐offs in water quality outcomes following the implementation of core soil health practices. In fact, both conservation tillage and cover crops can exacerbate dissolved P losses, undermining other benefits such as reductions in particulate P (sediment‐bound P) losses. Soil health management must be pursued in a manner that considers the complex interaction of nutrient cycling processes and produces realistic expectations. Achieving water quality goals through soil health practices will require adaptive management and continued, applied research to support evidence‐based farm management decisions.