Management of nitrate leaching in Pennsylvania: A factsheet approach
Open Access
Author:
Clark, Kathryn Louise
Area of Honors:
Environmental Resource Management
Degree:
Bachelor of Science
Document Type:
Thesis
Thesis Supervisors:
Douglas Brian Beegle, Thesis Supervisor Robert David Shannon, Thesis Honors Advisor
Keywords:
nitrate leaching factsheet 590
Abstract:
Nitrate leaching into subsurface waters continues to be a major problem in agricultural areas despite efforts undertaken to minimize nutrient loss. Recent updates to the Natural Resource Conservation Service’s Conservation Practice Standard 590 have brought nitrate management to the national spotlight, requiring the problem to be addressed in state conservation practice standards through a nitrate leaching index or other method approved by that state Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS). In Pennsylvania, scientists and the NRCS have worked together to find that best management practices for high nitrate leaching are already recommended under Pennsylvania’s Act 38 Nutrient Management Policy. In order to educate farmers on how to incorporate these best management practices, a factsheet was developed that will be available through Penn State Extension. This thesis examines the history of nutrient management policy to show how the modern version of the 590 standard was developed and explains the process of meeting the 590 revision requirements through the development of a factsheet.
