“Banned” is the term being used in newspapers, but it is incorrect. The proper term is “regulated.” Legislation already passed in various parts of the country and being proposed for Dane County lawns and, under NK151, turf areas over 5 acres, mandates that P appli-cation on turfgrass be according to soil tests. Phosphate cannot be applied when soil test P exceeds what is considered to be the optimum level for established turfgrass.

There are two reasons for regulating P application — agronomic and environmental. Research has answered the question of whether or not application of P to turfgrass estab-lished on soil with more than adequate soil test P benefits the grass. It is the environmental consequences of continuing to apply fertilizer P that are highly controversial.