Nitrogen and Phosphorus in Eroded Sediment from Corn and Soybean Tillage Systems

Abstract

Runoff, soil loss and sediment bound total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN) and Bray P‐1 phosphorus (P) losses were measured corn (Zea mays L.) and soybean [Glycine max (L.)] tillage systems subjected to simulated rainfall. Runoff and soil loss were influenced by contouring and tillage treatment. After 60 min of simulated rainfall, there was little or no runoff or soil erosion from plots which had recently been ridge cultivated along the contour. Soil and nutrient losses from up‐and‐down slope ridge‐till plots were never significantly different than from the conventional tillage treatment. Bray P‐1 P concentration in the top 5 cm of soil and eroded sediment was significantly reduced by moldboard plowing. Concentrations of Bray P‐1 in the eroded sediment tended to decrease as soil loss increased. Bray P‐1 enrichment ratios ranged from 1.69 to 4.5, and were correlated to a greater extent with sediment concentration than with soil loss. The TKN losses were linearly related with soil loss and the average TKN enrichment ratio ranged from 1.02 to 1.28. The TKN enrichment ratio was not significantly correlated with Bray P‐1 enrichment ratio.

Effects of soil erosion by water under different tillage treatments on distribution of soil chemical parameters

“…These results are consistent with the results of other researchers: Burwel et al (1977), McIsaac et al (1991), Fleige and Horn (2000), Kisic et al (2002), Ali et al (2006), Malam Issa et al (2006) and Warrington et al (2009) reported higher content of OM, plant available nutrients and other chemicals in soil sediments. Gaynor and Findlay (1995) concluded that conservation tillage reduces average soil loss compared to conventional tillage.…”

Measurement and prediction of nitrogen loss by simulated erosion events on cultivated forest soils of contrasting structure

“…The magnitude of a 2 and the type of regression in Eq. (4) were similar to those reported by McIsaac et al (1991), Gachene et al (1997) and Hargrave and Shaykewich (1997). Thus, loss of N by erosion could be reasonably estimated from knowledge of sediment loss alone.…”

“…We calculated values of E R of N for a range of agricultural soils under different crops, cultivation and weather conditions using the data from Massey and Jackson (1952), Sharpley (1985), Rose and Dalal (1988), Palis et al (1990), McIsaac et al (1991), Catt et al (1994), Hansen and Nielsen (1995) and Sombatpanit et al (1995). The mean value of E R from these data was 1.86 (S.E.…”

Chemical Properties of Eroded Soil Material

“…Research by Mannering and Bertrand (1971), Burwel et al (1977), Luk (1979), Krisztian (1992), McIsaac et al (1991), Basic et al (1991), Le Bissonnais and Singer (1993), Edwards et al (1993), Soilleau et al (1994), Fleige and Horn (2000) and Lindstrom et al (2000) suggests that there is a higher content of available nutrients and other chemicals in erosional drift compared to the soil from which the erosional drift originates.…”