Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

In October 2009, the NRCS indicated a desire to revise the Nutrient Management Practice Standard (code 590). The NRCS was interested in bringing more uniformity to P management standards between states and assuring that soil test P levels were not increased to the point of creating chronic environmental problems. SERA17 has assisted NRCS and the agricultural and environmental industries by drafting recommendations on ways to revise the 590 standard to encourage sustainable nutrient management while maintaining agricultural production.

Outputs: In November, 2009, the SERA-17 policy workgroup finished a report describing appropriate use of soil test thresholds to reduce or control P losses from agricultural fields. The report, entitled "Soil Test Phosphorus Threshold Levels" was authored by Sam Feagley and John Lory and is available for download from the SERA17 website (http://www.sera17.ext.vt.edu/SERA_17_Workgroups_Policy_Publications.htm). This directly responds to objectives 1 and 4 of SERA17 (1.Gather, assimilate, interpret, and disseminate information to increase the knowledge base on P linkages and dynamics within and between the land-water continuum and the environment. and 4.Identify emerging nutrient-related issues and inform policy makers and other stakeholders.)

Furthermore, a task force was established to draft a comprehensive recommendation in response to questions raised by NRCS related to revision of the 590 standard. This task force reported on their work at the annual SERA17 meeting and will deliver their final recommendation to NRCS in November 2010.

Feagley, S.E., and J. Lory. 2009. Soil Test Phosphorus Threshold Levels. Southern Extension and Research Activity  Information Exchange Group 17 (SERA-17) Position Paper. http://www.sera17.ext.vt.edu/Documents/P_Soil_Threshold_Levels_2009.pdf