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ARS Home » Northeast Area » University Park, Pennsylvania » Pasture Systems & Watershed Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #322379
Title: Managing surface water inputs to reduce phosphorus loss from Cranberry farms

Author
item Kennedy, Casey
item Kleinman, Peter
item DEMORANVILLE, CAROLYN - University Of Massachusetts
item Elkin, Kyle
item Bryant, Ray
item Buda, Anthony

Submitted to: Journal of Environmental Quality
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/25/2017
Publication Date: 11/16/2017
Citation: Kennedy, C.D., Kleinman, P.J., Demoranville, C.J., Elkin, K.R., Bryant, R.B., Buda, A.R. 2017. Managing surface water inputs to reduce phosphorus loss from Cranberry farms. Journal of Environmental Quality. 46:1472-1479. doi: 10.2134/jeq2017.04.0134.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2134/jeq2017.04.0134

Interpretive Summary: Given growing pressures to mitigate phosphorus losses in key cranberry production regions, strong interest exists in developing management practices that reduce phosphorus losses from harvest floodwaters. USDA-ARS scientists sought to evaluate the potential for using calcite to remove phosphorus from cranberry flood waters during harvest. Their research points to the potential to enhancing phosphorus removal through strategies that include calcium amendments, but also improve flocculation and settling of solids in harvest flood waters.

Technical Abstract: Calcium phosphate (Ca-P) precipitation holds great promise in the mitigation of dissolved phosphorus (DP) loss from cranberry bogs, with precipitated Ca-P potentially serving as a fertilizer source for the subsequent cranberry crop. We quantified Ca-P precipitation following calcite application to harvest floodwater. Calcite additions (0-10 g L-1) reduced DP in drainage water by 62% (0.35-0.14 mg P L-1), and geochemical (PHREEQC) modeling showed that at least 27% of DP was removed by Ca-P precipitation. For applications of 3.75-10 g L-1, 15-25% decreases in concentrations of calcium, iron, and dissolved organic carbon suggested flocculation of humic matter with iron hydroxides, with calcium as a coagulant. Although Ca-P precipitation removed close to one-third of the DP, representing about one-tenth of the annual P requirement, adsorption onto flocculated iron hydroxides also represented significant removal of P. Delivery of soluble calcium through sprinkler systems may represent the most effective remedial strategy for P loss.