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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Tifton, Georgia » Southeast Watershed Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #363801
Research Project: Enhancing Water Resources, Production Efficiency and Ecosystem Services in Gulf Atlantic Coastal Plain Agricultural Watersheds

Location: Southeast Watershed Research

Title: Synergy of grass buffer and amendment with flue gas desulfurizaton gypsum for imporving edge-of-field runoff quality

Author
item Endale, Dinku
item Strickland, Timothy
item Pisani, Oliva
item Bosch, David
item Coffin, Alisa
item Schomberg, Harry

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/31/2019
Publication Date: 11/10/2019
Citation: Endale, D.M., Strickland, T.C., Pisani, O., Bosch, D.D., Coffin, A.W., Schomberg, H.H. 2019. Synergy of grass buffer and amendment with flue gas desulfurizaton gypsum for imporving edge-of-field runoff quality [abstract]. American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America Annual Meeting, November 10-13, 2019, San Antonio, TX.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Poultry production and coal-fired power generation are two very important industries in the southeastern USA. The by-products broiler litter (BL) and flue gas desulfurization gypsum (FGDG) can be used as soil amendments to improve ecosystem services from agricultural systems. From 2015 to 2017, we evaluated impact on runoff quality of ten treatments arranged in a randomized complete block design with three replications, and consisting of inorganic, inorganic + FGDG, BL, and BL+FGDG fertilization (n = 29 to 43). Plots, equipped with runoff collection and sampling systems, were 3.05 m wide by 5.49 m long, each with either no grass buffer or with 3.05 m wide by 6.10 m long bermudagrass buffer with or without FGDG amendment. Plots under inorganic + FGDG fertilization had no buffers. Rates of BL and FGDG each were 13.45 Mg/hectare/year. The most consistently observed result was that plots fertilized with BL + FGDG, and having buffers amended with FGDG, had 60 to 90% lower concentration and loads of ammonium and nitrate nitrogen, total Kjeldahl nitrogen, and dissolved reactive and total phosphorus (DRP & TP; from 2 to 4 mg/L down to ~0.5 mg/L) than most other treatments. Adding FGDG, and buffer with no FGDG, to no-buffer BL only plots reduced TP concentration 54%. Some of these results are consistent with previous studies using simulated storms with return period of 1 in 10 years.