Abstract Transfer of P from grassland soil to water was studied using two complementary field experiments. In the first of these, P transfer in surface runoff from ...
Phosphorus loss from grassland soils: implications of land management for the quality of receiving waters
A. L. HEATHWAITE, P. GRIFFITHS Department of Geography, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
P. M. HAYGARTH, S. C. JARVIS Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research, Okehampton, Devon EX20 2SB, UK
R. J. PARKINSON Department of Agriculture and Food Science, University of Plymouth, Devon TQ12 6NQ, UK
Abstract Transfer of P from grassland soil to water was studied using two complementary field experiments. In the first of these, P transfer in surface runoff from grassland soils receiving different amendments of fertilizer and manures, under controlled rainfall conditions, was considered. In the second experiment, 1 ha-sized grazed plot lysimeters were used to separate different hydrological pathways into surface and artificially drained pathways. It was found that fertilizer and manure additions were both direct sources of P transfer, and that discrete single storm events were important in this process. On the grazed plot lysimeters, annual P export is estimated to be in the region of 2-3 kg P ha"1 year1, but is reduced by about 30% in the presence of artificial drainage. Although soluble (
