Agricultural Phosphorus and Eutrophication: A Symposium Overview

Abstract Phosphorus in runoff from agricultural land is an important component of nonpoint‐source pollution and can accelerate eutrophication of lakes and streams. Long‐term land application of P as fertilizer and animal wastes has resulted in elevated levels of soil P in many locations in the USA. Problems with soils high in P are often aggravated by the proximity of many of these areas to P‐sensitive water bodies, such as the Great Lakes, Chesapeake and Delaware Bays, Lake Okeechobee, and the Everglades. This paper provides a brief overview of the issues and options related to management of agricultural P that were discussed at a special symposium titled, “Agricultural Phosphorus and Eutrophication,” held at the November 1996 American Society of Agronomy annual meetings. Topics discussed at the symposium and reviewed here included the role of P in eutrophication; identification of P‐sensitive water bodies; P transport mechanisms; chemical forms and fate of P; identification of P source areas; modeling of P transport; water quality criteria; and management of soil and manure P, off‐farm P inputs, and P transport processes.