Harrisburg, Penn.-Pennsylvania has announced it is joining with Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia as partners in restoring Chesapeake Bay, seeking a voluntary reduction of half the phosphate used in lawn care fertilizers throughout the 64,000-square-mile basin by 2009. Authorities in these states also reported a second initiative will address nitrogen in fertilizers next year. A similar effort was recommended for 2008 to reduce pesticides reaching the bay. At the same time, some wondered if similar treatment is not far off for agriculture, while the fertilizer industry cautioned that the restrictions actually could be counterproductive. The announcement coincided with reports from Lebanon Seaboard Corp. and Scotts Miracle-Gro that both companies would start reducing phosphate in their products this fall. They indicated low-phosphate products could be on store shelves as early as this spring. TFI said that while there may be a “feel-good” aspect to these regional restrictions, the science does not support them and in fact shows that they may be counterproductive. Agreeing that excess nutrients can indeed impair water quality, TFI spokeswoman Kathy Mathers cautioned that adding nutrients to lawns does not necessarily add nutrients to water, and that in some instances it may have the opposite effect. “For example,” Mathers noted, “to some degree nitrogen uptake is dependent on adequate amounts of phosphate and other nutrients being present. If the P is absent or deficient, this could cause excess N losses. Turf researchers have shown that when lawns grow well, they absorb rain better and shed less runoff water.” Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell also introduced a nutrient and sediment trading policy to allow farmers, communities, and industries to earn credits by exceeding water quality regulations.
Transparency Across the Fertilizer Value-Chain