Best Management Practices for Nitrogen Use in SOUTH-CENTRAL MINNESOTA

Nitrogen (N) is an essential plant nutrient that is applied to Minnesota crops in greater quantity than any other fertilizer and contributes greatly to the agricultural economy of Minnesota crop producers. In addition, vast quantities of nitrogen are contained in the ecosystem, including in soil organic matter. Biological processes that convert nitrogen to its mobile form, nitrate (NO3), occur continuously in the soil system. (For greater detail see Understanding Nitrogen in Soils AG-FO-3770.) Unfortunately, nitrates can be leached from the root zone of the soil. Management guidelines have been developed to assist crop producers manage their nitrogen in ways that optimize profitability, reduce risk, and minimize the loss of nitrate to surface and ground water.