Phosphorus has come under fire lately, especially around Lake Erie where toxic, blue-green algae blooms caused by phosphorus runoff have plagued the lake’s western basin the last several years. Why is this happening? Nester Ag owner and independent crop consultant Joe Nester from Bryan in northwest Ohio shares his thoughts on why phosphorus management is different today than it used to be. He talks about what practices no-tillers can employ on their farms to ensure their crops have adequate phosphorus while minimizing loss.

With environmental policies influencing the timing and placement of fertilizers, it’s important to improve the application toolbox without sacrificing farm profitability. Placing nitrogen and phosphorus below the soil surface has been a suggested way to reduce off-site transport of nutrients, but at times, field capacity (ac/hr) may be sacrificed. Moving forward, the ability to both accurately place nutrients and apply them at the right time will be important for the no-till operation. In this presentation, John Fulton discusses opportunities for timing and placement of nitrogen and phosphorus, and how new technology can help enhance delivery. The Ohio State ag engineer also discusses environmental risks, agronomic response and application field capacity, as well as tips to consider for success.