Relationship between phosphorus concentration in surface runoff and a novel soil phosphorus test procedure (DGT) under simulated rainfall
W. J. Dougherty A E , S. D. Mason B , L. L. Burkitt C and P. J. Milham A D
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Science and Research, NSW Department of Primary Industries, Locked Bag 4, Richmond, NSW 2753, Australia.
B School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, University of Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia.
C Tasmanian Institute of Agricultural Research, University of Tasmania, PO Box 3523, Burnie, Tas. 7320, Australia.
D Centre for Plant and Food Science, University of Western Sydney, LB 1797, Penrith South DC, NSW 1797, Australia.
E Corresponding author. Email: warwick.dougherty@industry.nsw.gov.au
Soil Research 49(6) 523-528 https://doi.org/10.1071/SR11151
Submitted: 13 March 2011 Accepted: 27 July 2011 Published: 25 August 2011
Abstract
There is a need to be able to identify soils with the potential to generate high concentrations of phosphorus (P) in runoff, and a need to predict these concentrations for modelling and risk-assessment purposes. Attempts to use agronomic soil tests such as Colwell P for such purposes have met with limited success. In this research, we examined the relationships between a novel soil P test (diffuse gradients in thin films, DGT), Colwell P, P buffering index (PBI), and runoff P concentrations. Soils were collected from six sites with a diverse range of soil P buffering properties, incubated for 9 months with a wide range of P additions, and then subjected to rainfall simulation in repacked trays growing pasture. For all soil and P treatment combinations, the relationship between DGT (0–10 mm) and runoff P was highly significant (P < 0.001, r2 = 0.84). Although there were significant curvilinear relationships between Colwell P and runoff P for individual soils, there were large differences in these relationships between soils. However, the inclusion of a P buffering measure (PBI) as an explanatory variable resulted in a highly significant model (P < 0.001, R2 = 0.82) that explained between-soil variability. We conclude that either DGT, or Colwell P and PBI, can be used to provide a relative measure of runoff P concentration.
Additional keywords: diffuse gradients in thin films, DGT, Colwell P, modelling, phosphorus, rainfall simulation, runoff.
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