Excessive irrigation can cause fertilizers to be washed away from the soil before plants can fully absorb them. This excess fertilizer runoff can enter nearby water bodies, leading to water pollution. Nutrient-rich runoff can promote algal blooms, deplete oxygen levels in water, and harm aquatic ecosystems.
How can excessive irrigation contribute to fertilizer runoff and water pollution?
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Excessive irrigation can exacerbate fertilizer runoff and water pollution by carrying excess nutrients, like nitrogen and phosphorus, from fertilizers into nearby waterways. As water percolates through soil, it picks up these nutrients, which then leach into groundwater or flow into surface water sources. This runoff can lead to eutrophication, disrupting aquatic ecosystems and threatening water quality, as well as human health and livelihoods downstream.