Surface and subsurface water continuous monitoring to quantify nitrate leaking to groundwater from maize plots

Nitrogen from agricultural sources has become one of the most serious causes of ecosystem eutrophication and groundwater contamination worldwide. An example is the Po River plain (Northern Italy), an intensively populated, industrialized and farmed region, severely affected by nitrate pollution. While urban sources has been recently reduced by the introduction of more efficient treatment processes, agricultural contribution both as manure and as synthetic fertilizers remains high. The focus of this study was to quantify nitrogen losses to groundwater in the Po River Delta area (Ferrara Province, Emilia Romagna Region), characterised by silty-loamy soils and extensive maize cultivation, fertilized with urea.