Fertilize Responsibly! Nitrate Leaching and Cation Exchange in a Sandy Soil
Why should we worry about nitrate leaching after applying nitrogen fertilizer? There are both economic and ecologic reasons. We don't want to leach out fertilizer that we've paid for, and we know that leaching of nitrates can contaminate groundwater, contaminate surface water, and contribute to dead zones in the sea; a process known as Eutrophication. In this episode, Matt demonstrates how different forms of nitrogen can leach from very coarse sandy soils, compares organic and non-organic fertilizers, and explains cation exchange principles.