Agricultural Nitrogen Management for Water Quality Protection in the Midwest

Nitrogen is an essential nutrient for growth of crops and aquatic vegetation and often needs to be applied for optimal crop production. Land application of nitrogen in animal manure, biosolids (sewage sludge) and mineral fertilizer can increase the risk of nitrogen entering ground and surface waters.
The various nitrogen forms have unique and important chemical, biological and environmental properties and occupy specific and important roles in the nitrogen cycle.
Topics covered in this publication include: nitrogen in the environment; nitrogen in groundwater; nitrogen in surface waters; transport of nitrogen to surface waters: ammonia emission and nitrogen deposition; agricultural nitrogen Management; nitrogen application; manure nitrogen; variable rate nitrogen application; inhibitors and controlled release nitrogen fertilizers; cultural practices and nitrogen delivery to water bodies (including tillage, crop residue cover, cropping systems, cover crops and riparian buffers; subsurface tile drainage management (including water table management and treatment of drainage water); irrigation management; cost-effectiveness of nitrogen management practices; and lists of relevant resources for further information.