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ARS Home » Plains Area » Fort Collins, Colorado » Center for Agricultural Resources Research » Rangeland Resources & Systems Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #393731
Research Project: Adaptive Grazing Management and Decision Support to Enhance Ecosystem Services in the Western Great Plains

Location: Rangeland Resources & Systems Research

Title: Modeling phosphorus losses to subsurface drainage under tillage and compost management

Author
item PAN, PENG - McGill University - Canada
item QI, ZHIMING - McGill University - Canada
item ZHANG, TIEQUAN - Agri Food - Canada
item Ma, Liwang

Submitted to: Soil & Tillage Research
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/16/2022
Publication Date: 12/2/2023
Citation: Pan, P., Qi, Z., Zhang, T., Ma, L. 2023. Modeling phosphorus losses to subsurface drainage under tillage and compost management. Soil & Tillage Research. 27. Article 105587. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.still.2022.105587.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.still.2022.105587

Interpretive Summary: Among the world's annual phosphorus (P) fertilizer production, only 20% is utilized effectively by plants. Efforts to reduce agricultural P losses through various best management practices (BMPs) have helped mitigate unnecessary phosphate applications. The objective of this study is to investigate the long-term P losses through tile drainage as affected by tillage and compost amendment using the newly-developed RZWQM2-P model. We found that, when tillage intensity increased from 0 (no-till) to 0.93 (moldboard plow), drainage flow, DRP, and PP losses decreased by 11.5%, 48.1%, and 30.3%, respectively. Similarly, when compost mixing efficiency increased from 0 (no-till) to 0.5 (Tandem Disk), DRP and PP losses through drainage flow reduced by 54.0% and 31.0%, respectively. Overall, the RZWQM2-P model can accurately simulate soil P dynamics on an annual basis and can be used as a tool to evaluate tillage effects on P loss from tile-drained agricultural land under manure or compost application.

Technical Abstract: While agriculture consumes 80-90% of the world's annual phosphorus (P) production, only 20% is utilized effectively by plants. Efforts to reduce agricultural P losses through various best management practices (BMPs) have helped substantially mitigate unnecessary phosphate applications. The objective of this study is to investigate the long-term P losses through tile drainage as affected by tillage and compost amendment using the newly-developed RZWQM2-P model. We found that the model accurately simulated field-measured annual drainage water flow, as well as annual particulate P (PP) and total P (TP) losses in tile drainage, although it underestimated dissolved reactive P (DRP) when compost was applied. Long-term simulation results showed that tillage intensity (TI, 0-1) and associated manure/compost P mix efficiency (ME, 0-1) with soil decreased tile drainage flow and tile-drainage-borne P losses. Specifically, when TI increased from 0 (no-till) to 0.93 (moldboard plow), drainage flow, DRP, and PP losses decreased by 11.49%, 48.12%, and 30.29%, respectively. Similarly, when ME increased from 0 (no-till) to 0.5 (Tandem Disk), DRP and PP losses through drainage flow reduced by 53.98% and 30.95%, respectively. ME was not directly associated with drainage flow volume in the model. Overall, the RZWQM2-P model can accurately simulate main soil P dynamics on an annual basis although DRP loss prediction still needs to be improved, and it can be used as a tool to evaluate tillage effects on P loss from tile-drained agricultural land under manure or compost application.