Book Description

Phosphorus has been identified as the nutrient element most limiting to the growth of algae in Lake Erie. In addition, nutrient loadings by tributaries are a major source of phosphorus to the lake; of this load, the diffuse load, and especially the agricultural diffuse load is a major component of the total P input to Lake Erie. The particulate P load carried by a stream has several sources: native soil P, P from fertilizer, manure, and waste, P from crop residues and detritus. The bulk of sediment-P, however, is native soil P except where additions of manure have been heavy over many years. In light of these issues, a study was initiated to investigate levels of available-P in agricultural soils in the Lake Erie drainage basin. This report is concerned with two major objectives: (1) To survey actual field levels of available P in a county in Ohio and compare these with published soil test summary data for the same area; and (2) to determine if similar data were available in other Lake Erie Basin states and to determine if soil test methods and recommendations varied significantly from state to state. (Author).