7th International Phosphorus Workshop (IPW7)

Significant advances have been made in the last 30 years on understanding the factors and processes involved in the P dynamics in the soil-water continuum and losses to the inland and coastal waters. However, much remains to be done in order to accurately predict P losses and to set up cost-effective control strategies to meet the legislative requirements in different areas - e.g. the EU Water Framework Directive in Europe. The wide differences among geographic areas in terms of climate, soil landscape and agricultural systems justify different scientific and technical approaches to solve the problems caused by soil P losses. In this respect, IPW7 offers a window on the specific problems of agricultural systems and landscapes in a region with a Nordic climate and with a special sensitive recipient – the Baltic Sea.

The previous International Phosphorus Workshops (1995 Wexford, 1998 Antrim, 2001 Plymouth, 2004 Wageningen, 2007 Silkeborg and 2010 Seville) have significantly contributed to increasing knowledge about transfer of P from soil to water.

 The 7th International Phosphorus Workshop in Uppsala will have the following themes:

• Transport pathways of P from soil to water – partitioning and dominance of different flow paths
• Monitoring, modeling and risk assessment at different scales – targeting critical source areas
• The importance of manure and cropping systems for P management – how do we reach long-term sustainability?
• Identification of appropriate mitigation measures for reduction of P losses – efficient use of existing techniques and development of new methods
• Implementation of mitigation strategies to reduce P losses – how can we get the farmer to use the most appropriate BMPs?
• P management in a changing world – effect of climate change, P deficiency and increasing population

Welcome to Uppsala and IPW7 in September next year!