Runoff losses from irrigated dairy pastures treated with phosphorus fertilisers of differing solubility in south-eastern Australia
A. J. Weatherley A E , B. F. Quin B , K. B. Dassanayake C and J. S. Rowarth D
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Department of Resource Management and Geography, The University of Melbourne, Vic. 3010, Australia.
B Quin Environmentals (NZ) Ltd, PO Box 125-122, St Heliers, Auckland 1740, New Zealand.
C Department of Agriculture and Food Systems, The University of Melbourne, Vic. 3010, Australia.
D Institute of Natural Resources, Massey University, Private Bag 11222, Palmerston North New Zealand.
E Corresponding author. Email: anthony@unimelb.edu.au
Soil Research 49(7) 633-641 https://doi.org/10.1071/SR11156
Submitted: 8 February 2011 Accepted: 8 July 2011 Published: 17 November 2011
Abstract
In response to increasing concern about environmental quality, water authorities in many countries are imposing legislation limiting phosphorus (P) concentrations in water, which is having an impact on farming practice. This experiment investigated the agronomic effects and runoff losses associated with different forms of P fertiliser applied to an irrigated dairy pasture (soils were Vertic Calcic Red Chromosols; average Olsen P, 50 mg P/kg) in north-central Victoria, Australia. Single superphosphate (SSP), a sulfurised diammonium phosphate, or partially acidulated phosphate rock was surface-applied at 50 kg P/ha in March 2005 to a border-check, flood-irrigated dairy pasture (ryegrass–white clover) ten days before a scheduled irrigation. Dissolved reactive P (DRP) and total P (TP) were measured in runoff from whole bays on one replicate and from microplots on all three replicates for a period of 9 weeks. In all runoff events and all treatments, concentrations of DRP and TP in runoff greatly exceeded water quality guidelines for acceptable limits (0.045 mg P/L). The SSP resulted in significantly higher concentrations of P in runoff than the less water-soluble fertilisers. Even after the fifth irrigation, runoff from all fertilisers still exceeded the control. These results suggest that: (i) P fertilisers should not be applied in high-risk situations as insurance against yield loss; (ii) the current recommendation of withholding irrigation for 3 days after fertiliser application is insufficient to prevent potentially significant losses occurring; and (iii) runoff losses were dependent on the type of fertiliser applied, with a smaller proportion of P applied as sulfurised DAP lost in runoff.
Additional keywords: water quality, slowly soluble fertilisers, irrigation, microplots.
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