News

Phosphorous management a field by field effort in Lake Erie Basin

There is no one size fits all approach to best management practices in the Western Lake Erie Basin. Steve Davis with the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) says plans to control phosphorous runoff from crop fields need to be evaluated on a case by case basis.

“Every plan is specific to a field. You need to look at the slope, the different soils, the crops, every field is unique. So we feel in the western basin it’s going to take a field by field approach.” says Davis.

Davis tells Brownfield NRCS has been evaluating farm fields on a case by case basis to recommend if a field should incorporate buffer strips, grass waterways, more ditching, cover crops, or other practices to reduce phosphorous loss. He says farmers who participate can receive funding to help implement best management practices.

“To assist them in developing nutrient management plans and conservation plans to put practices on their farms that will reduce phosphorous loss. If they do that, we have ways of helping them financially with the cost of installing those practices.” says Davis.

Davis discussed best management practices at a State of the Science conference on water quality in the Western Lake Erie Basin in Toledo. The conference was hosted by Ohio Sea Grant. More information on NRCS funding can be found at nrcs.usda.gov

Audio: Steve Davis, NRCS