How to measure nutrient leaching in the fields and manure piles?

As part of the ReGen AGRI project, advisors are supporting 21 crop and beef farmers in Finland, Estonia and Latvia in testing practical nutrient-efficient solutions in agriculture. This summer, field visits were carried out at the demonstration farms, where the assessment of nutrient leaching from agricultural fields and manure piles was initiated.

To monitor nutrient leaching, Ion-exchange resin bags were installed in both experimental plots and control areas on crop farms. At one Estonian beef cattle farm, the bags were placed in three different locations: near a covered manure pile, near an uncovered manure pile, and in a field unaffected by the manure heaps to assess background nutrient leaching under normal conditions.

The Ion resin bags were placed below the active root zone, where they capture nutrients moving deeper into the soil with percolating water. This method makes it possible to compare nutrient leaching between experimental and control areas and assess the extent of any differences. The first resin bags have now been retrieved from the fields and will be sent to the laboratory for analysis.