Measuring Water-Extractable Phosphorus in Manures to Predict Phosphorus Concentrations in Runoff

• Published in: Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis 2011-01, Vol.42 (9), p.1071-1084
• Main Authors: Studnicka, Julie S, Bundy, Larry G, Andraski, Todd W, Good, Laura W, Powell, J. Mark
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; application rate; Biological and medical sciences; dairy manure; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Manure; manure handling; Manures; phosphorus; phosphorus in runoff; poultry manure; prediction; rain; rainfall simulation; risk; risk assessment; Runoff; seasonal variation; simulated rainfall; spring; water-extractable phosphorus
• ISSN: 0010-3624; 1532-2416; 1532-2416; 1532-4133
• DOI: 10.1080/00103624.2011.562588

Water-extractable phosphorus (WEP) in manures can influence the risk of phosphorus (P) losses in runoff when manures are land applied. We evaluated several manure handling and extraction variables to develop an extraction procedure for WEP that will minimize pre-analysis manure-sample-handling effects on WEP measurements. We also related manure WEP determinations to runoff dissolved reactive phosphorus (DRP) concentrations found in previously conducted field simulated rainfall experiments using the same manures to evaluate WEP as a predictor of P runoff losses. Dairy and poultry manure WEP concentrations increased with manure-to-water extraction ratio and shaking time. Relative to fresh manures, drying and grinding dairy manures before analysis usually decreased WEP concentrations, while WEP in poultry manures was often increased. Pre-analysis handling effects on WEP were minimized at the 1:1000 extraction ratio with a 1-h shaking time. Relationships between manure WEP and runoff DRP concentrations were strongly influenced by season of year and WEP extraction procedure. The best prediction of DRP concentration in spring runoff experiments was with manure WEP concentration at the 1:1000 extraction ratio. With fall runoff studies, DRP concentrations were best predicted with WEP application rate rather than concentration. These seasonal differences can be explained by the greater percentage of rainfall that ran off in the fall compared to the spring. For all studies, runoff DRP concentrations were strongly related (r2 = 0.82) to the ratio of runoff to rainfall volumes, confirming that models need to take runoff hydrology into account as well as manure WEP in P-loss risk assessments.