Phosphorus Runoff from Two Water Sources on a Calcareous Soil

Abstract

Phosphorus (P) in irrigation runoff may enrich offsite water bodies and streams and be influenced by irrigation water quality and antecedent soil surface conditions. Runoff, soil loss, and P fractions in runoff using reverse osmosis (RO) water or mixed RO and well water (RO/ Tap) were studied in a laboratory sprinkler study to evaluate water source effects on P transport. A top-or subsoil Portneuf silt loam (coarse-silty, mixed, superactive, mesic Durinodic Xeric Haplocalcid), either amended or not amended with manure and/or with cheese whey, with Olsen P from 20 to 141 mg kg-' and lime from 108 to 243 g kr', was placed in L5 x 1.2 X 0.2-m-deep containers with 2.4% slope and irrigated three times from a 3-m height for 15 min, applying 20 mm of water. The first irrigation was on a dry loose surface, the second on a wet surface, and the third on a dry crusted surface. Surface (ca. 2 cm) soil samples, prior to the first irrigation, were analyzed for Olsen P, water-soluble P (P",), and iron-oxide impregnated paperextractable P (FeO-P) analyses. Following each irrigation we determined runoff, sediment, dissolved reactive phosphorus (DRP) in a 0.45-pm filtered sample, and Fe0-P and total P in unfiltered samples. Soil surface conditions had no effect on P runoff relationships. Water source bad no significant effect on the relationship between DRP or FeO-P runoff and soil test P, except for DRP in RO runoff versus water-soluble soil P (r2 = 0.90). Total P in RO runoff versus soil P were not related; but weakly correlated for Rd/ Tap (r z < 0.50). Water source and soil surface conditions had little or no effect on P runoff from this calcareous soil. I N the quest to reduce phosphorus (P) enrichment of water bodies and streams by runoff from agricultural fields, many factors and variables must be considered. Included are soil physical (texture and aggregation) and chemical properties (P content, pH, mineralogy), land management (tillage, P application, slope, erosivity), and offsite transport processes. These factors affect not only susceptibility for erosion and runoff to occur, but also the potential for soil P release to runoff water. Many of these factors and relations among them are discussed by contributors to the volume edited by Tunney et al. (1997). Their discussions center mainly around rainfed agricultural practices on acidic soils largely covered by vegetation.Dissolved reactive phosphorus (DRP) concentrations in soil solution required for plant growth are in the range of 0.2 to 0.3 mg L-1 . Total P concentrations as low as 0.02 mg L-1 may cause eutrophication of lakes and streams (USEPA, 1996). The USEPA (1986) recommended a limit of 0.05 mg total P L-' in streams flowing into lakes, and 0

Nutrient loads and sediment losses in sprinkler irrigation runoff affected by compost and manure

“…Our TP was 3.28 mg L -1 (3.28 ppm), similar to the 1.08 mg L -1 (1.08 ppm) reported for our soil by Westermann et al (2001), and within the range of 0.3 to 17 mg L -1 (0.3 to 17 ppm) reported by Fitzsimmons et al (1972). Similarly, the DRP we measured, (0.16 mg L -1 [0.16 ppm]) lies within the commonly observed range of 0.04 to 0.18 mg L -1 (0.04 to 0.18 ppm) (Fitzsimmons et al 1972;Bjorneberg et al 2006;Lentz and Lehrsch 2010).…”

“…Studying the same soil as the current investigation, Turner et al (2004) measured greater DRP concentrations in sprinkler runoff than Westermann et al (2001) did in furrow runoff. Turner et al (2004) attributed the differences to the limited interaction between surface soil and the water applied via furrows compared to the extensive mixing of surface soil with the higher kinetic energy water applied by sprinklers or simulated rainfall that likely lead, in turn, to increased DRP concentrations in sprinkler rather than furrow runoff.…”

“…Ultimately, both DRP and FeO P degrade surface water quality. Since total P loads and flow-weighted total phosphorus (TP) concentrations in runoff under both furrow and sprinkler irrigation are highly correlated with sediment in runoff (Aase et al 2001;Westermann et al 2001;Turner et al 2004), erosion control is essential to minimize P loss (Kleinman et al 2011). While sediment loss was the primary determinant of TP loss, runoff volume affected the loss of DRP and bioavailable P in the studies of Eghball and Gilley (2001) and Eghball et al (2002).…”

Aspects of phosphorus transfer from soils in Europe

“…From an environmental point of view, P released to water (Pote et al, 1999;Aase et al, 2001;McDowell and Sharpley, 2001a) or to a dilute electrolyte (usually 0.01 M CaCl 2 , McDowell and Condron, 2004;McDowell and Sharpley, 2004;Hartz and Johnstone, 2006) has been used for predicting dissolved P concentration in overland flow and drainage water in soils, with ratios of dilute electrolyte/water to soil in this type of extraction ranging from 2 (Koopmans et al, 2006) to 1000 (Yli-Halla et al, 1995). The Dutch P-saturation index has been used with similar rationale, as well (Djodjic et al, 2004;Tarkalson and Mikkelsen, 2004;Vadas et al, 2005).…”

Effects of Drinking Water Treatment Residue on Phosphorus in Runoff from Poultry Litter

“…Iron oxide-impregnated filter paper strips are an important technique for predicting bioavailable P in runoff (Sharpley 1991;1993, 1993a, 1993bRobinson and Sharpley 1994;Monem and Gadalla 1992;Kuo and Jellum 1994;Lin and Houng 1991;Aase, Bjorneberg, and Westermann 2001). (Sharpley 1993(Sharpley , 1993a(Sharpley , 1993b found strong correlation between algal growth and the amount of P extracted from runoff sediment by the FeO strips.…”