Abstract
This study aimed to demonstrate the impact of phosphorus (P) mineral fertilization on topsoil P content and P leaching. We evaluated 83 datasets from 25 years from lysimeter experiments involving different cropping systems (winter crop, summer crop and autumn tillage, harvested grass) or unfertilized fallow, four types of soil texture, and three levels of applied mineral P fertilizer. A positive monotonic and significant correlation was indicated between P in the topsoil determined by the double lactate method (PDL) and the yearly flow-weight total (TP) concentrations in leachates with Spearman rank correlations rs (rs > 0.183) and probability (p) < 0.05. The present German recommended rates of P mineral fertilization are proposed insufficient to protect fresh and marine waters from undesired P pollution and eutrophication. A long-term reduction of excess soil P is urgent along with other measures to mitigate high P inputs to surface and ground waters.
Highlights
Application of phosphorus (P) fertilizers should be adapted to soil P level both to enable optimal crop growth and to avoid undesired P leaching losses
The dependency of PDL on mineral fertilization was apparent for the loamy sand (LS) lysimeters
The soil PDL increased significantly on lysimeters managed conventionally according to best management practices (BMPs) during the long-term investigation period of 25 years
Summary
Application of phosphorus (P) fertilizers should be adapted to soil P level both to enable optimal crop growth and to avoid undesired P leaching losses In this context, relationships between the ‘‘optimal agronomic P level in soil’’ and resulting P leaching losses are insufficiently known, especially in the long term. Factors such as fertilization, management intensity, depth of tillage and irrigation resulted in non-significant correlations between soil P concentrations and P in leachate (Godlinski et al 2004). These observations strongly call for deriving siteand management-specific coefficients to estimate potential P losses from the soil P status
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