Key Facts

Phosphorus is a limiting nutrient for freshwater ecosystems. Loss of phosphorus from agricultural land contributes to downstream eutrophication and degradation of water quality. There is a need to increase the knowledge for soil phosphorus processes, the presentation of the processes in relevant models, and mitigation measures for reducing the losses from land to water. The need will be addressed through a Norwegian use case located in cereal production areas of southeastern Norway. The use case is based on a well-monitored field (6.5 ha) within a long-term monitoring catchment. In the use case, nutrient transport was monitored for both surface runoff and subsurface drainage for 13 years, and climate data and field management information have been recorded for over 30 years. Moreover, intensive research has been conducted to understand soil physical and hydrological processes. 

Agricultural fields

Nutrients (phosphorus)

Soil & water

Process

Sorption and desorption of phosphorus.

Actions and expected results

• Inventory of data availability & collecting of new data as needed.
• Application of the upgraded and integrated models.
• Develop model-based scenarios.

Challenges

• Past research on the use case was focused on soil physical and hydrological processes, with limited information available regarding soil chemical processes.
• There are variations in the soil and slope within the use case, posing a challenge when using a field level model that does not fully account for the variations

Partners involved