The Minnesota Phosphorus Index: Assessing Risk of Phosphorus Loss from Cropland

12 pages. Visit http://www.mnpi.umn.edu to learn more about the Minnesota Phosphorus Index, and to download a current version of the program. This archival publication may not reflect current scientific knowledge or recommendations. Current information available from the University of Minnesota Extension: https://www.extension.umn.edu.The Minnesota Phosphorus Index (MN P Index) is a model with the primary purpose of estimating P loss risk. A computerized version of the model is available at http://www.mnpi.umn.edu. The MN P Index is used when a more accurate estimate is needed (e.g., on sites with multiple risk factors), or to estimate P loss risk unrelated to manure applications (e.g., to identify P loss sites within a watershed). The MN P Index helps users identify and refine site-specific methods to reduce P loss by considering the interaction of a wide range of risk factors including landscape characteristics, cropping and tillage practices, and P application methods.The development of the Minnesota Phosphorus Index was a cooperative effort of the University of Minnesota (UM), Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA), Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), and the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS); with funding from the Minnesota Environmental Quality Board, University of Minnesota Extension Service, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 319 grant sponsored by the MDA