Reducing soil phosphorus fertility brings potential long-term environmental gains: A UK analysis
Soil phosphorus (P) fertility arising from historic P inputs is a major driver of P mobilisation in agricultural runoff and increases the risk of aquatic eutrophication. To determine the environmental benefit of lowering soil P fertility, a meta-analysis of the relationship between soil test P (meas...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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IOP Publishing
2017-01-01
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| Series: | Environmental Research Letters |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/aa69fc |
| _version_ | 1827870911057887232 |
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| author | Paul J A Withers Robin A Hodgkinson Alison Rollett Chris Dyer Rachael Dils Adrian L Collins Paul E Bilsborrow Geoff Bailey Roger Sylvester-Bradley |
| author_facet | Paul J A Withers Robin A Hodgkinson Alison Rollett Chris Dyer Rachael Dils Adrian L Collins Paul E Bilsborrow Geoff Bailey Roger Sylvester-Bradley |
| author_sort | Paul J A Withers |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Soil phosphorus (P) fertility arising from historic P inputs is a major driver of P mobilisation in agricultural runoff and increases the risk of aquatic eutrophication. To determine the environmental benefit of lowering soil P fertility, a meta-analysis of the relationship between soil test P (measured as Olsen-P) and P concentrations in agricultural drainflow and surface runoff in mostly UK soils was undertaken in relation to current eutrophication control targets (30–35 µ g P L ^−1 ). At agronomic-optimum Olsen P (16–25 mg kg ^−1 ), concentrations of soluble reactive P (SRP), total dissolved P (TDP), total P (TP) and sediment-P (SS-P) in runoff were predicted by linear regression analysis to vary between 24 and 183 µ g L ^−1 , 38 and 315 µ g L ^−1 , 0.2 and 9.6 mg L ^−1 , and 0.31 and 3.2 g kg ^−1 , respectively. Concentrations of SRP and TDP in runoff were much more sensitive to changes in Olsen-P than were TP and SS-P concentrations, which confirms that separate strategies are required for mitigating the mobilisation of dissolved and particulate P forms. As the main driver of eutrophication, SRP concentrations in runoff were reduced on average by 60 µ g L ^−1 (71%) by lowering soil Olsen-P from optimum (25 mg kg ^−1 ) to 10 mg kg ^−1 . At Olsen-P concentrations below 12 mg kg ^−1 , dissolved hydrolysable P (largely organic) became the dominant form of soluble P transported. We concluded that maintaining agronomic-optimum Olsen-P could still pose a eutrophication risk, and that a greater research focus on reducing critical soil test P through innovative agro-engineering of soils, crops and fertilisers would give long-term benefits in reducing the endemic eutrophication risk arising from legacy soil P. Soil P testing should become compulsory in priority catchments suffering, or sensitive to, eutrophication to ensure soil P reserves are fully accounted for as part of good fertiliser and manure management. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T16:03:29Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4783810848194c41abbeca87f8514644 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1748-9326 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T16:03:29Z |
| publishDate | 2017-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Environmental Research Letters |
| spelling | doaj.art-4783810848194c41abbeca87f85146442023-08-09T14:31:42ZengIOP PublishingEnvironmental Research Letters1748-93262017-01-0112606300110.1088/1748-9326/aa69fcReducing soil phosphorus fertility brings potential long-term environmental gains: A UK analysisPaul J A Withers0Robin A Hodgkinson1Alison Rollett2Chris Dyer3Rachael Dils4Adrian L Collins5Paul E Bilsborrow6Geoff Bailey7Roger Sylvester-Bradley8School of Environment, Natural Resources and Geography , Bangor University, Bangor, Gwynedd LL57 2UW, United Kingdom; Author to whom any correspondence should be addressed.ADAS UK Ltd , Boxworth, Cambridge, CB23 4NN, United KingdomADAS UK Ltd , Meden Vale, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire NG20 9PF, United KingdomADAS UK Ltd , Boxworth, Cambridge, CB23 4NN, United KingdomEnvironment Agency , Red Kite House, Howbery Park, Wallingford, OX10 8BD, United KingdomSustainable Soils and Grassland Systems Department , Rothamsted Research, North Wyke, Okehampton EX20 2SB, United KingdomSchool of Agriculture Food and Rural Development , Newcastle University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne NE1 7RU, United KingdomADAS UK Ltd , Starcross, Devon EX6 8PF United KingdomADAS UK Ltd , Boxworth, Cambridge, CB23 4NN, United KingdomSoil phosphorus (P) fertility arising from historic P inputs is a major driver of P mobilisation in agricultural runoff and increases the risk of aquatic eutrophication. To determine the environmental benefit of lowering soil P fertility, a meta-analysis of the relationship between soil test P (measured as Olsen-P) and P concentrations in agricultural drainflow and surface runoff in mostly UK soils was undertaken in relation to current eutrophication control targets (30–35 µ g P L ^−1 ). At agronomic-optimum Olsen P (16–25 mg kg ^−1 ), concentrations of soluble reactive P (SRP), total dissolved P (TDP), total P (TP) and sediment-P (SS-P) in runoff were predicted by linear regression analysis to vary between 24 and 183 µ g L ^−1 , 38 and 315 µ g L ^−1 , 0.2 and 9.6 mg L ^−1 , and 0.31 and 3.2 g kg ^−1 , respectively. Concentrations of SRP and TDP in runoff were much more sensitive to changes in Olsen-P than were TP and SS-P concentrations, which confirms that separate strategies are required for mitigating the mobilisation of dissolved and particulate P forms. As the main driver of eutrophication, SRP concentrations in runoff were reduced on average by 60 µ g L ^−1 (71%) by lowering soil Olsen-P from optimum (25 mg kg ^−1 ) to 10 mg kg ^−1 . At Olsen-P concentrations below 12 mg kg ^−1 , dissolved hydrolysable P (largely organic) became the dominant form of soluble P transported. We concluded that maintaining agronomic-optimum Olsen-P could still pose a eutrophication risk, and that a greater research focus on reducing critical soil test P through innovative agro-engineering of soils, crops and fertilisers would give long-term benefits in reducing the endemic eutrophication risk arising from legacy soil P. Soil P testing should become compulsory in priority catchments suffering, or sensitive to, eutrophication to ensure soil P reserves are fully accounted for as part of good fertiliser and manure management.https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/aa69fcagricultureeutrophicationsoil fertilityphosphorusOlsen-Pland runoff |
| spellingShingle | Paul J A Withers Robin A Hodgkinson Alison Rollett Chris Dyer Rachael Dils Adrian L Collins Paul E Bilsborrow Geoff Bailey Roger Sylvester-Bradley Reducing soil phosphorus fertility brings potential long-term environmental gains: A UK analysis Environmental Research Letters agriculture eutrophication soil fertility phosphorus Olsen-P land runoff |
| title | Reducing soil phosphorus fertility brings potential long-term environmental gains: A UK analysis |
| title_full | Reducing soil phosphorus fertility brings potential long-term environmental gains: A UK analysis |
| title_fullStr | Reducing soil phosphorus fertility brings potential long-term environmental gains: A UK analysis |
| title_full_unstemmed | Reducing soil phosphorus fertility brings potential long-term environmental gains: A UK analysis |
| title_short | Reducing soil phosphorus fertility brings potential long-term environmental gains: A UK analysis |
| title_sort | reducing soil phosphorus fertility brings potential long term environmental gains a uk analysis |
| topic | agriculture eutrophication soil fertility phosphorus Olsen-P land runoff |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/aa69fc |
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