What factor does proper drainage contribute to in nutrient management?

Proper drainage is crucial in nutrient management as it directly contributes to preventing nutrient leaching into waterways. When drainage is adequately managed, excess water is removed from the soil, reducing the risk of nutrients, particularly nitrogen and phosphorus, being washed away with surface runoff or percolating deep into the soil beyond the root zone. This helps maintain the levels of essential nutrients within the soil, ensuring they are available for plant uptake while also protecting nearby water bodies from nutrient pollution, which can lead to issues such as algal blooms and degradation of water quality.

In contrast, while proper drainage might indirectly influence other factors like soil compaction (which can affect root health and nutrient uptake) or nutrient application rates, its primary role in nutrient management is to minimize the loss of nutrients to the environment through leaching, thus safeguarding scarce resources and promoting sustainable farming practices.