page_title: Cultural eutrophication
section_title: Agriculture
hierarchical_section_title: Cultural eutrophication / Sources of anthropogenic pollution / Agriculture
caption_attribution_description: English: Sediment laden runoff floods drainage ditches following a brief storm in Tennessee.
context_page_description: Cultural eutrophication is when a flux of excess nutrients from human activity are added into a local run-off which in turns speeds up the natural eutrophication. This is caused by human activity, this problem became apparent once the green revolution and industrial revolution began in the last century. Phosphates and nitrates are the two main nutrients that cause cultural eutrophication as they enrich the water allowing for aquatic plants such as algae to grow rapidly. Algae is prone to blooming into large quantities removing oxygen from the water generating anoxic conditions. This anoxic environment kills off any organisms in the water body and make it hard for terrestrial animals to gain access to the water for drinking. Increased competition for the added nutrients can cause potential disruption to entire ecosystems and food webs, as well as a loss of habitat, and biodiversity of species.
  There are many ways in which nutrients are added through human activity, including but not limited to: waste treatment plants, golf courses, fertilizing lawns, burning of fossil fuels and agricultural practices.
context_section_description: Since the agricultural boom in 1910s and again in the 1940s to match the increase in food demand, agricultural production relies heavily on the use of fertilizers. Fertilizer is a natural or chemically modified substance that helps soil become more fertile. These fertilizers contain high amounts of phosphorus and nitrogen, which results in excess amounts of nutrients entering the soil.  Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium are the "Big 3" primary nutrients in commercial fertilizers, each of these fundamental nutrients play a key role in plant nutrition.  When nitrogen and phosphorus are not fully utilized by the growing plants, they can be lost from the farm fields and negatively impact air and downstream water quality. These nutrients can eventually end up in aquatic ecosystems and are a contributor to increased eutrophication. When farmers spread their fertilizer whether it is organic or synthetically made most of the fertilizer will turn into runoff that collects downstream generating cultural eutrophication. 
  There are many ways to help fix cultural eutrophication caused by agriculture. Safe farming practices is the number one way to fix the problem. Some safety precautions are:  
  Nutrient Management Techniques - Anyone using fertilizers should apply fertilizer in the correct amount, at the right time of year, with the right method and placement.
  Year - Round Ground Cover - a cover crop will prevent periods of bare ground thus eliminating erosion and runoff of nutrients even after the growing season has occurred. 
  Planting Field Buffers - By planting trees, shrubs and grasses along the edges of fields to help catch the runoff and absorb some nutrients before the water makes it to a nearby water body. 
  Conversation Tillage - By reducing frequency and intensity of tilling the land will enhance the chance of nutrients absorbing into the ground.
caption: An example in Tennessee of how the fertilizer on fields can quickly turn into runoff with a flux of nutrients that flows into a local water body.
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