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Advancing Outreach of Phosphorus Management in MN

Start Date: 2018
Principal Investigator: Dan Kaiser
Organization: University of Minnesota, Department of Soil, Water, and Climate
Status: Ongoing

Background Info

Commodity and fertilizer price fluctuations and water quality concerns have increased the need for basic soil fertility outreach. Nitrogen has been a large target due to national water quality concerns with eutrophication in the Gulf of Mexico. Phosphorus is a major issue in Minnesota due to the impact of excess P on water quality in freshwater systems. Phosphorus is also a nutrient that needs to be supplied to crops grown in Minnesota. Since fertilizer can represent significant input costs, knowing how soil tests are correlated and calibrated and at what point P becomes an environmental issue is important to ensure the nutrient is being managed efficiently and profitably.

Objectives

Develop a series of modules on phosphorus management used for oral extension programming using power point

  1. Nature and chemistry of phosphorus in soils
  2. Soil testing theory and phosphorus best management practices
  3. Profitable management of phosphorus fertilizers
  4. Environmental implications of phosphorus management

Further develop a database containing phosphorus response in corn and soybean production systems to:

  1. Identify critical soil test levels based on currently used phosphorus soil tests
  2. Outline probability of response to P based on current P test calibrations
  3. Define expected average yield increase to P fertilizer based on soil test P categories

Complete the revision of three current phosphorus related extension publications

  1. Understanding phosphorus fertilizers
  2. Phosphorus transport and availability to surface waters
  3. Agronomic and environmental management of phosphorus

Complete final summary of the AFREC long-term phosphorus study for peer reviewed publication and integrate the long-term project data into extension programming

Complete work on new extension publication “Managing phosphorus profitably”

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