Nutrient leaching losses from a sandy soil in lysimeters

• Published in: Communications in soil science and plant analysis 1998-04, Vol.29 (7/8), p.931-946
• Main Authors: Shepherd, M.A. (ADAS Land Research Centre, Notts, UK.), Bennett, G
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; APPLICATION RATES; Biological and medical sciences; CALCIUM; CHLORIDES; DEPTH; DRAINAGE; Earth sciences; Earth, ocean, space; Engineering and environment geology. Geothermics; ENGLAND; Exact sciences and technology; FARMYARD MANURE; FERTILIZER DISTRIBUTORS; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Geochemistry; LEACHING; LOSSES FROM SOIL; LYSIMETERS; MAGNESIUM; MANURE SPREADERS; NITROGEN CONTENT; PHOSPHORUS; Physical properties; Physics, chemistry, biochemistry and biology of agricultural and forest soils; Pollution, environment geology; POTASSIUM; POULTRY; SANDY SOILS; SODIUM; Soil and rock geochemistry; SOIL FERTILITY; SOIL MORPHOLOGICAL FEATURES; SOIL ORGANIC MATTER; SOIL PH; Soil science; SULFATE; SULPHATES; Water and solute dynamics
• ISSN: 0010-3624; 1532-2416
• DOI: 10.1080/00103629809369997

Two lysimeter experiments were conducted on annual leaching losses of calcium (Ca), potassium (K), sodium (Na), chloride (Cl), sulphate-sulphur (SO4-S), and magnesium (Mg) (one experiment only) from a sandy soil in central England during 1988-1995 to provide information on typical nutrient losses under arable agriculture below 1.2 m (Experiment 1) or 1.5 m (Experiment 2). Total annual losses, in the absence of manure additions, were highly dependent on the amount of drainage; flow-weighted average concentrations were similar between years within experiments. Concentrations, averaged over the duration of the experiments were 74 and 78 mg L-1 Ca, 17 and 27 mg L-1 Na, 11 and 8 mg L-1 K, 74 and 77 mg L-1 Cl, and 57 and 38 mg L-1 SO4-S for the two experiments respectively; Mg concentration was 17 mg L-17. Applications of chicken litter were made to some of the lysimeters in the last three years, and all nutrients showed increased leaching as a result. Application rates akin to disposal (rather than for crop fertilization) produced the largest losses. Following a total application of 125 t ha-1 over three years, average concentrations in water draining below 1.5 m in the final year were 57 and 277 mg L-1 Ca, 22 and 75 mg L-1 Cl,7 and 14 mg L-1 K, 22 and 57 mg L-1 Na, 27, and 125 mg L-1 SO4-S for the untreated and manured soils, respectively