Compilation of measured nutrient load data for agricultural land uses in the United States

Abstract

Measured field scale data are increasingly used to guide policy and management decisions based on comparative pollutant load information from various land management alternatives. The primary objective of this study was to compile measured annual nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) load data representing field scale transport from agricultural land uses. This effort expanded previous work that established an initial nutrient export coefficient dataset. Only measured annual N and P load data published in scientific peer-reviewed studies were included in the present compilation. Additional criteria for inclusion were: spatial scale (field scale or farm scale, minimum 0.009 ha); land use (homogeneous, either cultivated agriculture or pasture/rangeland/hay); natural rainfall (not rainfall simulation); and temporal scale (minimum one year). Annual N and P load data were obtained from 40 publications, resulting in a 163-record database with more than 1,100 watershed years of data. Basic descriptive statistics in relation to N and P loads were tabulated for tillage management, conservation practices, fertilizer application, soil texture, watershed size, and land use (crop type). The resulting Measured Annual Nutrient loads from A Circumlittoral Environments (MANAGE) database provides readily accessible, easily queried watershed characteristic and nutrient load data and establishes a platform suitable for input of additional project specific data.