| Abstract: | Development and application of a method for the estimation of nitrate leaching from agricultural land For two locations in the Rhine Valley in the State of Baden- Württemberg research on the nitrate leaching from agricultural fields was carried out. The investigated sites are located on aquifers that are pumped for drinking water. A new procedure was developed in order to estimate the nitrate losses by leaching from the rooting zone of agricultural fields. The procedure uses seepage estimates from a soil water simulation model and measured nitrate contents in the soil. It is found that for both sites large amounts of nitrate are washed out and that high nitrate concentrations occur in the seepage water. The simultaneous use of the investigated areas for intensive agriculture and for drinking water supply is questioned. |
