Phosphorus Runoff from Two Water Sources on a Calcareous Soil

• Published in: Journal of environmental quality 2001-07, Vol.30 (4), p.1315-1323
• Main Authors: Aase, J.K., Bjorneberg, D.L., Westermann, D.T.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agriculture; Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Applied sciences; Biological and medical sciences; Calcareous soils; Calcium Compounds - chemistry; Earth sciences; Earth, ocean, space; Engineering and environment geology. Geothermics; Environmental Monitoring; Exact sciences and technology; Filtration; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Irrigation water; Manure; Natural water pollution; Oxides - chemistry; Phosphorus; Phosphorus - analysis; Pollution; Pollution, environment geology; Rainwaters, run off water and others; Reverse osmosis; Runoff; Silt loam; Soil and water pollution; Soil Pollutants - analysis; Soil science; Soil surfaces; Soil testing; Solubility; Streams; Subsoils; Surface runoff; Water Movements; Water Pollutants - analysis; Water quality; Water Supply; Water treatment and pollution; Well water
• ISSN: 0047-2425; 1537-2537
• DOI: 10.2134/jeq2001.3041315x

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−1 and lime from 108 to 243 g kg−1, was placed in 1.5 × 1.2 × 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 (Pws), and iron‐oxide impregnated paper–extractable P (FeO‐P) analyses. Following each irrigation we determined runoff, sediment, dissolved reactive phosphorus (DRP) in a 0.45‐μm filtered sample, and FeO‐P and total P in unfiltered samples. Soil surface conditions had no effect on P runoff relationships. Water source had 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 RO/Tap (r2 < 0.50). Water source and soil surface conditions had little or no effect on P runoff from this calcareous soil.