Source and transport controls on nutrient delivery to tile drains

•Nutrient management practices impacted the magnitude of incidental nutrient loss.•Nitrate-N concentration was similar across flow pathways and antecedent conditions.•Dissolved P concentration was dependent upon the position of the groundwater table.•Groundwater comprised the largest fraction of total tile discharge during the study.•Water, nutrient, and tracer fluxes revealed new insights into nutrient delivery.