Dynamic Process of Nitrogen and Phosphorus Export and Loss Load in an Intensive Orchard with Ridge and Furrow Plantation in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area

Abstract

To comprehend the runoff load of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) and the impact on the receiving river in an agricultural area with an intensive orchard plantation and a longitudinal ridge and furrow morphology in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area, the runoff and N and P concentrations were dynamically monitored in a typical citrus orchard catchment in Wanzhou Country, Chongqing, China. The results showed that the nutrient concentration in runoff water from the intensive citrus planting catchment was very high. The average annual event mean concentrations (EMC) were 9.31 mg·L-1 for total nitrogen (TN), 8.11 mg·L-1 for dissolved nitrogen (DN), 5.66 mg·L-1 for nitrate nitrogen (NN), 0.51 mg·L-1 for ammonium nitrogen (AN), 0.87 mg·L-1 for total phosphorus, 0.56 mg·L-1 for solved phosphorus (DP), and 0.32 mg·L-1 for particulate phosphorus (DP). In addition, the annual loss loads were 13.43, 12.20, 8.77, 0.75, 1.26, 0.84, and 0.42 kg·(hm2·a)-1 for TN, DN, NN, AN, TP, DP, and PP, respectively. The annual average concentrations of TN and TP were 8.49 mg·L-1 and 0.87 mg·L-1, respectively, which exceeded the category V values of the surface water quality standards (GB3838-2002) by 4.25 times and 2.2 times, respectively, and also exceeded the internationally recognized thresholds for the eutrophication of waterbodies. The TN and TP loss load from storm runoff was one of the main reasons for the degradation of the river water quality, thus suggesting the need to treat surface runoff and control runoff nutrient losses, especially during the first storm events after fertilization. During two typical long-duration springtime rainfall events after fertilization, the loads of nitrate nitrogen (NN) and dissolved phosphorus (DP) were 4.94 kg·hm-2 and 0.28 kg·hm-2, respectively, which accounted for 92.90% and 64.69% of the total annual TN and TP loss loads, respectively. The loads of NN and DP in a short-duration high-intensity rainfall event were 0.52 and 0.05 kg·hm-2 respectively, which accounted for 65.92% and 74.88% of the total annual TN and TP loss loads, respectively. The DN and DP were the main forms of nitrogen and phosphorus losses from the intensive citrus orchard with a longitudinal ridge and furrow morphology. Meanwhile, the catchment showed a significant first-flush phenomenon during a typical rainfall event, with a total of 58.0%, 57.0%, 58.5%, 79.0%, 62.0%, 63.5%, and 60.0% of the mass of TN, DN, NN, AN, TP, DP, and PP in the initial 20% of the runoff, respectively. Hence, controlling the surface runoff at the early runoff stage plays an important role in reducing nutrient losses.