An integrated tool for cost-effectively applying nutrient management practices for corn, soybeans, and wheat

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) problem in Lake Erie has become critical recently-primarily triggered by phosphorus losses from cropland in the Maumee River watershed (major crops of corn/soybeans/wheat). Implementing agricultural best management practices (BMPs) is crucial to reduce excess nutrient loadings. Nutrient management is the management of nutrient applications for crop production that maximizes nutrient use efficiencies and minimizes nutrient losses. However, an integrated watershed-scale tool is needed for cost-effectively applying nutrient management practices for corn/soybeans/wheat considering the 4Rs (Right nutrient source, Right rate, Right time, and Right place of nutrient applications). In this study, by combining an improved Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) for nutrient management (SWAT-NM) and an improved BMP Cost Evaluation Tool (BMP-COST) for economic evaluations of nutrient management (BMP-COST-NM) considering the 4Rs for corn/soybeans/wheat, an integrated tool SWAT-COST-NM was created. SWAT-COST-NM was demonstrated in the AXL watershed (a typical agricultural area in the Maumee River watershed). The impacts of single nutrient management practices (single-NM, which separately changed the rate, place, time, or nutrient source of fertilizer applications) and combined-NM practices (multiple single-NM practices combined as one nutrient management practice) for corn/soybeans/wheat were evaluated. Tradeoffs in yearly net costs, crop yields, and March-July/yearly nutrient losses (Total Phosphorus-TP, Dissolved Reactive Phosphorus-DRP, and Total Nitrogen-TN) existed. Nutrient management did not necessarily lead to sufficient increases in crop yields to generate extra revenues that match or exceed the additional costs of the activities (compared to existing practices). One of the combined-NM practices could simultaneously reduce March-July TP, DRP, and TN losses by 5.89%, 8.19%, and 8.23%, respectively, while increasing crop yields with additional income (0.50 $/ha/yr of cropped area). SWAT-COST-NM, which can quantify various factors and tradeoffs when evaluating the impacts of nutrient management practices for corn/soybeans/wheat, can assist decision-makers in cost-effectively applying nutrient management practices considering the 4Rs.