Proper management of nitrogen and phosphorus, including the use of organic sources of nitrogen such as animal manure, legumes and cover crops, can save producers money. USDA has revised its national conservation practice standard on nutrient management to help producers better manage the application of those nutrients on agricultural land. The nutrient management standard provides a roadmap for NRCS’s staff and others to help producers apply available nutrient sources in the right amount, from the right source, in the right place, at the right time for maximum agricultural and environmental benefits.

Key changes in the standard include expanding the use of technology to streamline the nutrient management process and allowing states more flexibility in providing site-specific nutrient management planning using local information when working with producers. NRCS staff offices will have until January 1, 2013 to comply with erosion, nitrogen and phosphorus criteria for their state nutrient management standard.

The revised national standard is being released in support of three recently released Conservation Effects Assessment Project cropland studies. These CEAP studies assessed the effectiveness of conservation practices in the Upper Mississippi Basin, the Chesapeake Bay Watershed and the Great Lakes Basin. One significant resource concern identified in all three studies is the loss of nitrogen and phosphorus from cropland.