Characteristics of Runoff-related Total Nitrogen and Phosphorus Losses Under Long-term Fertilization and Cultivation on Purple Soil Sloping Croplands

Abstract

To elucidate the effects of long-term fertilization and cultivation on runoff rates and runoff-related nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) losses, the following five treatments were established on sloping purple soil cropland:① no fertilizer with downslope tillage (CK), ② combined application of manure and fertilizer with downslope tillage (T1), ③ chemical fertilizers with downslope tillage (T2), ④ chemical fertilizer with increasing fertilization with downslope tillage (T3), and ⑤ chemical fertilizer with contour tillage (T4). The runoff rate, runoff-related total N (TN), and total P (TP) concentrations and their loss rates from 104 erosive rainfall events were determined for the period 2008-2019. Results showed that although runoff rates were not significantly different among the fertilization treatments (P>0.05), runoff was markedly lower in fertilization treatments than in the CK treatment (P<0.05). Runoff-related TN concentrations were significantly higher in the CK compared to the fertilization treatments (P<0.05), while there were no significant differences among the T2, T3, and T4 treatments, which had higher concentrations than the T1 treatment. Runoff-related TP concentrations were significantly higher from the T1, T2, and T3 treatments than the CK treatment (P<0.05), and were significantly lower in the T4 than the CK treatment (P<0.05). TN loss rates were not significantly different among the fertilization treatments (P>0.05), but were all lower than the CK treatment (P<0.05). Furthermore, TP loss rates were not significantly different among the downslope treatments (P>0.05), but were all higher than the contour treatment (P<0.05). Runoff rates showed no significant relationships with TN and TP concentrations in the CK, T1, and T2 treatments but were significantly negatively linearly correlated in T3 (P<0.05) and significantly positively linearly correlated in T4 (P<0.05). These results potentially provide scientific guidance for the prevention and control of agricultural non-point source pollution on sloping croplands in the purple soil area.