They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Well, this one's worth a thousand (or millions) of plankton feeding in Lake Ontario causing incredible algae bloom which depletes waterways of oxygen and kills just about every other living thing in it. Compliments of golf courses and overused, misused fertilizers.
http://www.earthweek.com/2008/ew080829/ew080829x.html

Could this be related to corn ethanol production? hmmm.....

Can't answer that, dirtdaddy. The site and most other's more knowledgeable about causes of algae bloom relate it to run off from fertilizers used for farms, lawns and mostly from golf courses. Of the three suspects, it's possible some farm's overuse of ferts could be related to corn crops. I guess one would have to check the farms upstream in that area.

My take:

1) Homes & Golf Courses are the most persistent, routine offenders. They have the money to blow on appearances, and simply heap on the fertilizers.

2) Because farmers are trying to make a profit, they don't spend more on fertilizer then they need to. So in general they apply just the right amount, at the right time, to be taken up by the plants and not leached away.

3) HOWEVER, the farms can be a big source of pollution when unexpected events like weather intervene.

Look at the rains this year in Iowa and Illinois. Illinois in particular is noted for extensive use of "tiling" -- underground drainage networks that remove water quickly from the ground in the spring (allows land to be planted sooner, and roots to grow deeper in the spring before the summer heat and dryness arrives).

What happened this spring is a lot of fertilizer was leached out and drained off by the excessive rainfalls.

Tiled lands are one way we increase our flooding of rivers, and most people don't really think about it because it's not as obvious as draining wetlands or straightening streams.

So it's time for less chemicals used on lawns and golf courses? I understand what Matt says, that a farmer probably wont over fertilze, but can't others start being more organic? Use other methods?

quote:

Originally posted by dirtdaddy:
So it's time for less chemicals used on lawns and golf courses? I understand what Matt says, that a farmer probably wont over fertilze, but can't others start being more organic? Use other methods?

A good many are, but it requires re-education and retooling. most farmers don't have the means (aka tractors) to utilize manure/compost spreaders now. They have big enclosed cabs on the tractors so they can't move levers on pull behind equipment (aka manure/compost spreaders). If we can get some folks to give up creature comforts (A/C in their tractor cabs) they might see more profits.

BTW, don't think that all farmers only apply what is needed when it's needed. Some of them have their lives dictated by the bank. And the bankers tend to believe the nice big ads the chem businesses put in the Wall Street News as to when and how much needs to be applied.

quote:

So it's time for less chemicals used on lawns and golf courses?

Ah shoot, you reminded me a week late...on my first walk through the fair last weekend there was a NOFA Certified organic lawn care company setup, I meant to go back and just check out their literature
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Gotta admit, there's something that appeals to the tonka toy playing boy about the Knight side slinging manure spreaders for those big, modern tractors though...

http://www.kuhn-usa.com/internet/webus.nsf/0/C1B856157C...ocument&p=14.8.2.1.7

I wish a full one of those babbies would roll over my garden!