GROUP 3 NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT AND WATER MANAGEMENT

NUTRIENT AND WATER MANAGEMENT (2021-2022)

What is nutrient management?

Nutrient management is the process of managing the amount, source, timing, and
method of nutrient application with the goal of optimizing farm productivity while
minimizing nutrient losses that could create environmental problems. It includes
developing nutrient budgets that consist of knowing the amounts of nutrients
present in the soil, determining the amount of nutrients needed by the crop,
accounting for all the potential sources of nutrients, and then applying manures,
composts, irrigation water, or inorganic fertilizers to meet the nutrient need of the
crop. It also uses site management practices to increase or maintain soil quality to
reduce the potential for erosion and nutrient transport into surface water or
nutrient leaching into groundwater. Soil quality is an important component of
nutrient management because it affects nutrient retention and water movement
through the soil. Biosolids are applied to a crop field in the photo at right.

Why use nutrient management?

Farmers need to apply nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and other nutrients to

achieve desired crop growth and yield. However, excessive nutrient application can
have negative environmental impacts. Nutrients that are not efficiently used by
crops or retained in the soil can leach into groundwater and move from agricultural
land into surface waters. For example, excess nitrogen in the form of nitrate can
leach through the soil into groundwater. Concentrations of nitrate in drinking water
above the national drinking water standard of 10 mg/L can cause health problems
for infants and elderly people. Nitrate-nitrogen concentrations of 20 to 40 ppm or
mg/L can cause health problems for horses and ruminants. 

Excess nitrogen and phosphorus applied to crops can move into surface water with
runoff during storm events causing nutrient enrichment (eutrophication) of these
water bodies, as shown in the photo at right. Eutrophication causes excessive plant
and algae growth that causes the water to turn green. When the plants and algae
die, the organisms that decompose the dead material consume much of the oxygen
in the water. This can cause fish kills or shifts in the types of fish species present,
and can prevent recreational uses of the water. Although excess phosphorus is
usually the nutrient that causes eutrophication issues in fresh water reservoirs,
excess nitrogen (concentrations greater than 1 mg/L) is generally the nutrient that
causes eutrophication problems in coastal waters.

Although many people do not think about the relationship between soil quality and
water quality, the link between them is strong (Figure 1). Good soil quality is
critical to protecting water quality by functioning to hold water, adsorb nutrients,
and retain other contaminants. For a soil to perform these functions, its capacity to
absorb nutrients cannot be exceeded. Nutrient management is critical to maintain
adequate, but not excessive nutrient concentrations for crop production and
maintaining soil quality.

How is soil affected?

The key to good soil quality is soil organic matter. A sufficient amount of nutrients
in the soil, particularly nitrogen, is necessary to form and maintain soil organic
matter. A fertile soil has greater plant growth, which can create greater inputs of
roots and other plant debris into the soil. This plant debris undergoes
decomposition and adds to the soil organic matter. Applications of animal manures
and composts, as well as the use of cover crops, all help increase soil organic
matter. Organic matter provides a food source for soil microbes and increases
microbial activity. As the microbes breakdown organic matter, nutrients are
released in forms that the plants can utilize. Because nutrient management
accounts for the nutrients added to the system, it promotes increasing soil quality
without creating nutrient excesses.

Different soils have different capacities to adsorb and retain nutrients. This is
related to the amount of soil organic matter and the soil texture (percent sand, silt,
clay). Because the soil texture cannot be changed, increasing soil organic matter is
the best way to increase the capacity of a soil to retain nutrients. Soils with larger
amounts of soil organic matter and at a near neutral pH will have a greater capacity
to retain nutrients, thus a higher soil quality than soils with low organic matter.

Soil pH also affects the availability of nutrients in the soil (Figure 2). A soil pH
around 6.5 allows for maximum availability of the soil nutrients and microbial
activity. Poultry and dairy manure have high levels of calcium and a natural liming
affect on the soil, which can provide an additional benefit to acidic soils. Soil testing
for nutrient management helps farmers track changes in pH so they know when
additional lime is needed and can maintain optimal pH and nutrient availability.

Although soil organic matter can also retain some negatively charged nutrients such
as phosphorus, the clay and carbonate content of the soil has a greater impact on
nutrient retention. Aluminum and iron oxides found in clayey soils readily bind
phosphorus; consequently, soils with greater percent clay can retain higher
concentrations of phosphorus than other soil types. Soils with high carbonates also
tend to bind phosphorus and reduce its loss. Sandy soils have fewer iron and
aluminum oxides, therefore, have a lower capacity to retain phosphorus. If
phosphorus is over-applied (which can happen when manures are used to meet the
nitrogen need of a crop), the capacity of the soil to bind phosphorus can be
exceeded. In these cases, the soil no longer functions as a nutrient buffer, soil
quality is reduced, and water quality can be impacted.

Because soil quality affects how water moves into surface and groundwater, it plays
an important role in the site management practices of a nutrient management plan.
Soil organic matter helps sustain microbial activity, which in turn tends to create
soil aggregates by generating polysaccharides and other compounds that “glue” soil
particles together. These aggregates can help prevent soil crusting and promote
better soil structure, which leads to easier root penetration, as well as improved
plant growth and production. Within a soil textural class, higher soil organic matter
and better aggregation will allow more water to infiltrate into the soil, reducing
erosion and preventing the loss of nutrients.

Elements of a Nutrient Management Plan

Nutrient management consists of several steps:

 Testing the soil to determine the nutrient supplying power of the soil,
 Determining the recommended amounts of nutrients needed to produce the
desired yields,
 Accounting for nutrient inputs from other sources, such as legumes,
 Analyzing manures, composts, and irrigation water to determine the nutrient
content,
 Applying manures or composts at recommended rates and based on the
critical nutrient (usually either nitrogen or phosphorus),
 Applying the additional inorganic nutrients as needed,
 Keeping records so evaluations and adjustments can be made, and
 Being aware of your surrounding landscape so sensitive areas can be
protected.

This process is an important step in building and maintaining soil quality. For more
information on developing a nutrient management plan for your area, contact your
local NRCS or Cooperative Extension representative.

WATER MANAGEMENT
Water is a critical input for agricultural production and plays an important
role in food security. Irrigated agriculture represents 20 percent of the
total cultivated land and contributes 40 percent of the total food produced
worldwide. Irrigated agriculture is, on average, at least twice as productive
per unit of land as rainfed agriculture, thereby allowing for more
production intensification and crop diversification.

Due to population growth, urbanization, and climate change, competition

for water resources is expected to increase, with a particular impact on
agriculture. Population is expected to increase to over 10 billion by 2050,
and whether urban or rural, this population will need food and fiber to
meet its basic needs. Combined with the increased consumption of
calories and more complex foods, which accompanies income growth in
the developing world, it is estimated that agricultural production will need
to expand by approximately 70% by 2050. 

However, future demand on water by all sectors will require as much as

25 to 40% of water to be re-allocated from lower to higher productivity
and employment activities, particularly in water stressed regions. In most
cases, such reallocation is expected to come from agriculture due to its
high share of water use. Currently, agriculture accounts (on average) for
70 percent of all freshwater withdrawals globally (and an even higher
share of “consumptive water use” due to the evapotranspiration of crops).

The movement of water will need to be both physical and virtual. Physical
movement of water can occur through changes in initial allocations of
surface and groundwater resources mainly from the agricultural to urban,
environmental, and industrial users. Water can also move virtually as the
production of water intensive food, goods, and services is concentrated in
water abundant localities and is traded to water scarce localities. 

Inter-sectoral water re-allocations and significant shifts of water away

from agriculture will also need to be accompanied by improvements in
water use efficiency and improvements in water delivery systems.
Improving the efficiency of water use in agriculture will also depend on
matching of improvements main system (off-farm) with appropriate
incentives for on-farm investments aiming to improve soil and water
management. Such options will require improved water delivery systems
to provide adequate on-demand service as well as use of advanced
technologies (i.e. soil moisture sensors and satellite evapotranspiration
measurements) to improve efficiency and productivity of water in
agriculture. 

Resolving the challenges of the future requires a thorough

reconsideration of how water is managed in the agricultural sector, and
how it can be repositioned in the broader context of overall water
resources management and water security. Moreover, irrigation and
drainage schemes, whether large or small, represent prominent spatially
dispersed public works in the rural spaces. Thereby, they represent a
logical vehicle for mobilizing employment opportunities into communities.

Practical Challenges for Water in Agriculture

The ability to improve water management in agriculture is typically

constrained by inadequate policies, major institutional under-
performance, and financing limitations. Critical public and private
institutions (encompassing agricultural and water ministries, basin
authorities, irrigation agencies, water users’ and farmer organizations)
generally lack the enabling environment and necessary capacities to
effectively carry out their functions.

For example, basin authorities often hold limited ability to enforce water
allocations and to convene stakeholders. Institutions charged with
developing irrigation often limit themselves to capital-intensive larger
scale schemes and tend to rely on public sector-based approaches rather
than developing opportunities for small-scale private financing and
irrigation management. Farmers and their organizations are also often
responding to highly distorted incentive frameworks in terms of water
pricing and agricultural support policies, which further hinder positive
developments in the sector.

Moreover, most governments and water users fail to invest adequately in

the maintenance of irrigation and drainage (I&D) systems. While
inadequate management and operation may play a part in the poor
performance of I&D systems, it is especially the failure to sufficiently
maintain systems that results in their declining performance and the
subsequent need for rehabilitation. This failure to provide adequate funds
for maintenance of I&D systems has resulted in the “build-neglect-
rehabilitate-neglect” cycle commonly observed in the sector.

Given the existing constraints above, the agricultural water management

sector is currently in the process of repositioning itself towards modern
and sustainable service provision. It proposes a singular water approach
on building resilient water services and sustaining water resources, while
also managing risks related to broader social and economic water-related
impacts. This includes transforming governance and service provision as
well as supporting watershed management and greening the sector and
can be achieved by providing improved incentives for innovation, reforms,
and accountability.