Quantifying phophorus loss in changing cropping systems of Northwest Minnesota

Lindsay Pease

The traditional range of the Corn Belt is shifting northward into the Red River Basin region of Minnesota. With this shift comes a change in soil fertility and water management needs. At the same time, phosphorus loss to freshwater lakes is emerging as a critical threat to Canada’s Lake Winnipeg. Northwest Minnesota is currently adapting to new demands in response to both of these changes. Increased pressure on farmers has resulted in an urgent need to defend fertility management decisions by demonstrating limited impact on water quality. However, there has been no data collected north of Highway 2 to identify which landscape management practices are most likely to generate phosphorus runoff in the cold climate of Northwest Minnesota. This project proposes to address this gap through directed grab sampling. This work will allow for a comparison of phosphorus concentrations in surface water from com producing fields, non-corn producing fields, and riparian buffer areas in Northwest Minnesota to identify potential “hotspots” of phosphorus loss for more intensive future analysis.