More Phosphorus, Less Monitoring

Poultry operations on Maryland’s Eastern Shore continue to spread chicken litter loaded with phosphorus onto croplands that already have too much, according to the latest data from reports filed by farmers. Nearly four-fifths of the phosphorus from chicken litter that poultry operators applied to crops went onto fields that had “excessive” soil phosphorus levels, as defined by the Maryland Department of Agriculture’s Nutrient Management Manual.  Explore the interactive map.