The International Plant Nutrition Institute found that when other nutritional needs are met, plants use nitrogen more efficiently.

Ways to keep phosphorus and nitrogen from impacting water resources, will be the focus of a day-long discussion by industry and university experts during the Conservation Tillage Conference, March 3-4.

While agricultural scientists, policymakers and farmers are investigating ways to reduce the risk of severe algal blooms that stem from phosphorus, an Ohio State University environmental economist suggests an economic response could be the most cost-effective one.

Recent surveys indicate that 20% of the fields in Pennsylvania do not have a current soil test. With high yields, the plant food contained in the soil is depleted more rapidly. A 200-bushel corn crop pulls out 80 pounds of phosphorus and 60 pounds of potassium. It is important to get a benchmark as to what is left.

Gypsum, which has roots in the past as a farm soil treatment, also may have a bright future, and not just as a booster of crops but also a protector of water.

As federal and state government begins to take action to monitor and prevent fertilizer runoff into watersheds — especially in the Great Lakes region — some farmers see strip-till as preventative measure.

The federal "pollution diet" imposed on Virginia and other bay states is supposed to reduce the phosphorus, nitrogen and sediment dumped into the Chesapeake Bay and its feeder rivers. Computer models based on a suite of reduction practices estimate that diet is mostly working. But real-world monitoring data shows a different story, according to the Environmental Integrity Project, a nonprofit anti-pollution group based in Washington.

In our last edition of Strip-Till Strategies, I shared some perspectives on best practices and precautions for building phosphorus levels in strip-till. We also asked our readers to share their experiences and advice on how they manage phosphorus in strip-tilled fields. Based on the feedback we received, it seemed worth revisiting the topic here.

Soybean is a crop that can remove significant amounts of nutrients per bushel of grain harvested. Because of this, soybeans can respond to starter fertilizer applications on low-testing soils, particularly phosphorus.