Phosphorus is transported by _____ from fields.

Phosphorus is primarily transported from fields through runoff, which occurs when rainfall or irrigation water flows over the soil surface and carries dissolved nutrients or soil particles with it. This movement can lead to phosphorus entering nearby water bodies, contributing to nutrient loading and potential eutrophication, which is the excessive growth of algae due to nutrient enrichment.

In contrast, leaching typically involves the downward movement of soluble substances through the soil, generally affecting elements like nitrate rather than phosphorus, which is less mobile in soil water. Erosion, while it can transport phosphorus bound to soil particles, does so indirectly by removing soil that contains phosphorus, making runoff a more direct pathway for the nutrient's movement into water systems. Evaporation does not transport phosphorus; rather, it is a physical process that removes water from the soil surface, having no direct impact on phosphorus transport. Thus, runoff is the most accurate method of transporting phosphorus from fields in agricultural settings.