Authors
Andrew N Sharpley, Richard W McDowell, Peter JA Kleinman
Publication date
2001/12
Journal
Plant and soil
Volume
237
Pages
287-307
Publisher
Kluwer Academic Publishers
Description
Phosphorus (P), an essential nutrient for crop and animal production, can accelerate freshwater eutrophication, now one of the most ubiquitous forms of water quality impairment in the developed world. Repeated outbreaks of harmful algal blooms (e.g., Cyanobacteria and Pfiesteria) have increased society's awareness of eutrophication, and the need for solutions. Agriculture is regarded as an important source of P in the environment. Specifically, the concentration of specialized farming systems has led to a transfer of P from areas of grain production to animal production. This has created regional surpluses in P inputs (mineral fertilizer and feed) over outputs (crop and animal produce), built up soil P in excess of crop needs, and increased the loss of P from land to water. Recent research has shown that this loss of P in both surface runoff and subsurface flow originates primarily from small areas within …
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Scholar articles
AN Sharpley, RW McDowell, PJA Kleinman - Plant and soil, 2001