Nitrate Leaching Management

Nitrate (NO3) leaching is a significant nitrogen (N) loss process for agriculture that must be managed to minimize NO3 enrichment of groundwater and surface waters. Managing NO3 leaching should involve the application of basic principles of understanding the site's hydrologic cycle, avoiding excess rates of N, and applying N in phase with crop demand. Other specific techniques to reduce NO3 leaching are presented in this entry.