Drip fertigation and plant hedgerows significantly reduce nitrogen and phosphorus losses and maintain high fruit yields in intensive orchards

A field experiment was carried out to evaluate the effects of drip fertigation combined with plant hedgerows on nitrogen and phosphorus runoff losses in intensive pear orchards in the Tai Lake Basin.Nitrogen and phosphorus runoff over a whole year were measured by using successional runoff water collection devices.The four experimental treatments were conventional fertilization(CK),drip fertigation(DF),conventional fertilization combined with plant hedgerows(C+H),and drip fertigation combined with plant hedgerows(D+H).The results from one year of continuous monitoring showed a significant positive correlation between precipitation and surface runoff discharge.Surface runoff discharge under the treatments without plant hedgerows totaled 15.86%of precipitation,while surface runoff discharge under the treatments with plant hedgerows totaled 12.82%of precipitation.Plant hedgerows reduced the number of runoff events and the amount of surface runoff.Precipitation is the main driving force for the loss of nitrogen and phosphorus in surface runoff,and fertilization is an important factor affecting the losses of nitrogen and phosphorus.In CK,approximately 7.36%of nitrogen and 2.63%of phosphorus from fertilization entered the surface water through runoff.Drip fertigation reduced the accumulation of nitrogen and phosphorus in the surface soil and lowered the runoff loss concentrations of total nitrogen(TN)and total phosphorus(TP).Drip fertigation combined with plant hedgerows significantly reduced the overall TN and TP losses by 45.38 and 36.81%,respectively,in comparison to the CK totals.Drip fertigation increased the vertical migration depth of nitrogen and phosphorus nutrients and reduced the accumulation of nitrogen and phosphorus in the surface soil,which increased the pear yield.The promotion of drip fertigation combined with plant hedgerows will greatly reduce the losses of nitrogen and phosphorus to runoff and maintain the high fruit yields in the intensive orchards of the Tai Lake Basin.

Assessing field vulnerability to phosphorus loss in Beijing agricultural area using Revised Field Phosphorus Ranking Scheme

Guanting Reservoir, one of the drinking water supply sources of Beijing, suffers from water eutrophication. It is mainly supplied by Guishui River. Thus, to investigate the reasons of phosphorus （P） loss and improve the P management strategies in Guishui River watershed are important for the safety of drinking water in this region. In this study, a Revised Field P Ranking Scheme （PRS） was developed to reflect the field vulnerability of P loss at the field scale based on the Field PRS. In this new scheme, six factors are included, and each one was assigned a relative weight and a determination method. The affecting factors were classified into transport factors and source factors, and, the standards of environmental quality on surface water and soil erosion classification and degradation of the China were used in this scheme. By the new scheme, thirty-four fields in the Guishui River were categorized as ＂low＂, ＂medium＂ or ＂high＂ potential for P loss into the runoff. The results showed that the P loss risks of orchard and vegetable fields were higher than that of corn and soybean fields. The source factors were the main factors to affect P loss from the study area. In the study area, controlling P input and improving P usage efficiency are critical to decrease P loss. Based on the results, it was suggested that more attention should be paid on the fields of vegetable and orchard since they have extremely high usage rate of P and high soil test of P. Compared with P surplus by field measurements, the Revised Field PRS was more suitable for reflecting the characteristics of fields, and had higher potential capacity to identify critical source areas of P loss than PRS.

Phosphorus losses via surface runoff in rice-wheat cropping systems as impacted by rainfall regimes and fertilizer applications

Phosphorus（P） losses from agricultural soils contribute to eutrophication of surface waters. This field plot study investigated effects of rainfall regimes and P applications on P loss by surface runoff from rice（Oryza sativa L.） and wheat（Triticum aestivum L.） cropping systems in Lake Taihu region, China. The study was conducted on two types of paddy soils（Hydromorphic at Anzhen site, Wuxi City, and Degleyed at Xinzhuang site, Changshu City, Jiangsu Province） with different P status, and it covered 3 years with low, high and normal rainfall regimes. Four rates of mineral P fertilizer, i.e., no P（control）, 30 kg P ha^（–1） for rice and 20 kg P ha^（–1） for wheat（P_（30＋20））, 75 plus 40（P_（75＋40））, and 150 plus 80（P_（150＋80））, were applied as treatments. Runoff water from individual plots and runoff events was recorded and analyzed for total P and dissolved reactive P concentrations. Losses of total P and dissolved reactive P significantly increased with rainfall depth and P rates（P〈0.0001）. Annual total P losses ranged from 0.36–0.92 kg ha^–1 in control to 1.13–4.67 kg ha^–1 in P150＋80 at Anzhen, and correspondingly from 0.36–0.48 kg h^–1 to 1.26–1.88 kg ha^–1 at Xinzhuang, with 16–49% of total P as dissolved reactive P. In particular, large amounts of P were lost during heavy rainfall events that occurred shortly after P applications at Anzhen. On average of all P treatments, rice growing season constituted 37–86% of annual total P loss at Anzhen and 28–44% of that at Xinzhuang. In both crop seasons, P concentrations peaked in the first runoff events and decreased with time. During rice growing season, runoff P concentrations positively correlated（P〈0.0001） with P concentrations in field ponding water that was intentionally enclosed by construction of field bund. The relative high P loss during wheat growing season at Xinzhuang was due to high soil P status. In conclusion, P should be applied at rates balancing crop removal（20–30 kg P ha^–1 in this study） and at time excluding heavy rains. Moreover, irrigation and drainage water should be appropriately managed to reduce runoff P losses from rice-wheat cropping systems.

Nitrogen and Phosphorus Loss Law and Emission Reduction Effects Under Water and Fertilizer Management Integrated Mode in Dike Paddy Field

To achieve the purpose of reducing farm non-point source pollution, we integrated site specific nitrogen management precise irrigation, controlled drainage, and wetland eco-repair system in dike area of Taihu basin. During investigation, it had given prominence for the water and fertilizer coupling effects of precise irrigation and site specific nutrient management, the characteristics of integration on controlled irrigation, controlled drainage and wetland ecosystem non-point source pollution control. Then the water and fertilizer integrated management mode of paddy field was put forward in Taihu basin where the water production efficiency increased to 1.64 kg. m-3, water saved 37.8%, fertilizer use efficiency raised 15,4%, yield raised 10%, and N, P load decreased 26%-72%. The modern agricultural and farmland ecosystems that control and cut down the farm non-point source pollution came into being, which can be a reference by Taihu basin to control its agricultural non-point source pollution and eutrophicated water body.

Study on phosphorus loss and influencing factors in the water source area

Maintaining drinking water security is a global issue,and phosphorus is a limiting factor affecting drinking water quality.Hence,this study took Fushi Reservoir as a test area,and set up field runoff observation plots around the reservoir catchment,which is covered by moso bamboo stands.Through field observation,the vertical variation of phosphorus loss in different stands of moso bamboo was initially studied.The results showed that:(1)For the vertical dimensions(atmospheric rainfall,stemflow,throughfall,surface runoff)from high to low,the loss of total phosphorus(TP)increased,and the pro-portion of dissolved phosphorus increased from 29.29%(atmospheric rainfall)to 62.76%(surface runoff).(2)Different rainfall factors had various impacts on phosphorus loss at the different vertical levels.The accumulation of rainfall had the greatest impact on surface runoff TP loss,with the correlation coefficient reaching 0.994(P<0.01),while surface runoff particulate phosphorus loss was mostly affected by the average rainfall intensity.(3)Modifying the forest structure in water source areas can reduce the loss of TP via stemflow and throughfall,but the effect on surface runoff TP loss is variable.Thus,it is expected that this novel study can serve as a reference for improving the environmental quality of water source areas,and help in reducing phosphorus loss and controlling non-point source pollution.

Transport of phosphorus in runoff and sediment with surface runoff from bare purple soil during indoor simulated rainfall

Phosphorus(P)in surface runoff from purple soil is a critical element of agricultural nonpoint source pollution,leading to eutrophication of surface waters in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area(TGRA)of China.This work aimed to understand the processes and mechanisms of P losses from bare purple soil.Based on an indoor rainfall simulation experiment,we focused on the processes of surface runoff and P losses via different hydrological pathways.Experimental treatments included three simulated rainfall intensities,four slope gradients,and three fertilizer treatments.P loss from sediment was the main pathway in the purple soil,and bioavailable P was mainly transferred in dissolved P(DP)of runoff water.The P loss loads tend to grow with the increase of the slope until 25°for the maximum load of runoff water and 20°for the maximum load of sediment.Concentrations of DP in the surface runoff after fertilizer application can exceed the estimates of those required for accelerated eutrophication.Sediment P control might be an essential way for reducing P loss in purple soil for the local government and farmers of TGRA.

Alternate freezing and thawing enhanced the sediment and nutrient runoff loss in the restored soil of the alpine mining area

This study highlights the influence of freezing-thawing processes on soil erosion in an alpine mine restoration area. Accordingly, a series of simulation experiments were conducted to investigate runoff, sediment, and nutrient losses, and potential influencing factors under freeze-thaw(FT) conditions. Three FT treatments(i.e., 0, 3, and 5 FT cycles), and two soil moisture contents(SMCs;i.e., 10% and 20% SMC on a gravimetric basis) were assessed. The runoff, sediment yield, ammonia nitrogen(AN), nitrate nitrogen(NN), total phosphorus(TP), and dissolved phosphorus(DP) losses from runoff were characterized under different rainfall durations. The fitting results indicated that the runoff rate and sediment rate, AN, NN, TP, and DP concentrations in runoff could be described by exponential functions. FT action increased the total runoff volume and sediment yield by 14.6%–26.0% and 8.8%–35.2%, respectively. The runoff rate and sediment rate increased rapidly with the increment of FT cycles before stabilizing. At 20% SMC, the total runoff volume and sediment yield were significantly higher than those at 10% SMC. The loss curves of AN and NN concentrations varied due to differences in their chemical properties. FT action and high SMC promoted AN and NN losses, whereas the FT cycles had little effect. FT action increased TP and DP losses by 60.2%–220.1% and 48.4%–129.8%, respectively, compared to cases with no FT action;the highest TP and DP losses were recorded at 20% SMC. This study provides a deep understanding of freezing-thawing mechanisms in the soils of alpine mine restoration areas and the influencing factors of these mechanisms on soil erosion, thereby supporting the development of erosion prevention and control measures in alpine mine restoration areas.

Output Characteristics of Non-point Nitrogen and Phosphorus from a Typical Small Watershed in Yimeng Mountainous Area during a Rainstorm

[ Objective] The study aimed to reveal the output characteristics of non-point nitrogen and phosphorus from a typical small watershed in Yimeng mountainous area during a rainstorm. [Method] The dynamic changes of pollutant concentration, precipitation and flow during the rainstorm on August 12, 2010 were monitored at the outlet of Menglianggu watershed. [ Result] During the rainstorm, the generation of runoff was sudden and ephemeral, and the peak of the runoff lagged behind that of rainfall intensity; the concentration of AN and TN increased firstly and then tended to be stable, while NN concentration had no significance change at the beginning of the rainfall, then improved gradually and tended to be stable fi- nally; DOP concentration had no obvious change during the rainstorm, but the concentration of DIP, DP, PP and TP rose firstly and then tended to be stable, and the peak values appeared before the peak of the flow. In addition, the output concentration of TN and TP was far higher than the standard concentration of water eutrophication. [ Conclusion] The study can provide scientific references for the reasonable control of non-point source pollution pollution in Yimeng mountainous area.