Keeping Abreast of Nutrient Management BMPs in Today's World.

Recent rises in commodity prices along with new management technology requires another look at best management practices (BMPs). We define BMPs as the most appropriate way to realize optimum crop production while maintaining economic cost and minimizing environmental impacts. A ‘best’ management practice is an iterative choice of various possibilities that can be implemented to achieve production goals, at realistic cost, and not adversely damage the environment. The intent of agriculture technology is to stay abreast of current BMPs as commodity prices change, economics evolve, and our awareness of environmental impacts become more definitive. What was once considered a BMP, because of past economics or scientific knowledge, may not be appropriate for today’s conditions. New economics and science shows that more closely timed applied nutrients, especially nitrogen, to the crop’s uptake and utilization is more efficient and less risky to environmental losses. The same can be stated for conservation BMPs. Traditional suites of conservation practices applied across the landscape may not be the most beneficial to protecting all soil, water, and air resources. In fact, some practices can be confounding to the over-all benefits of nutrient management. Simply reducing soil erosion and runoff can exasperate soil water hydrology to create wetter soil moisture conditions that could create impaired ground water conditions and have greater risk for nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions. Choosing the right rate of the right nutrient form, applied at the right time and at the right place will lessen the risk of environmental losses and assure the most effective and efficient use of our production measures. This opens up various possibilities to use BMPs in our agricultural systems. All BMPs have to be tested to assure that their interventions are used appropriately for the cropping system, soils, climate, and management skills inherent at this time.