Introduction: The development and growth of the dairy industry across Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) has been historically driven by a combination of:(i) the domestic demand for fresh milk, butter and cheese from the urban population; (ii) the influence of skilled European immigrants with a dairy farming culture and; (iii) the suitability of the climate and lands for both feed and animal production (Gómez and Zubizarreta, 2013). With the growth of urban settlements, dairy farming also grew in order to provide a source of income and milk consumption for families.

Introduction: The development and growth of the dairy industry across Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) has been historically driven by a combination of: (i) the domestic demand for fresh milk, butter and cheese from the urban population; (ii) the influence of skilled European immigrants with a dairy farming culture and; (iii) the suitability of the climate and lands for both feed and animal production (Gómez and Zubizarreta, 2013). With the growth of urban settlements, dairy farming also grew in order to provide a source of income and milk consumption for families.

RESUMEN.- La aplicación de fertilizantes, asociada a la intensificación de la actividad agropecuaria, ha incrementado la pérdida de nutrientes desde los sitios de agricultura hacia los cuerpos de agua. Contar con coeficientes de exportación de nutrientes, específicos de los usos del suelo de cada sitio, es importante para cuantificar impactos sobre la calidad de agua.