The influence of parent material and livestock intensification on plant‐available phosphorus values by the Olsen method in Northern Ireland

Abstract

Abstract. Leaching of phosphorus (P) from agricultural land is the major cause of eutrophication of surface waters in Northern Ireland. However, soil testing using the Olsen method has shown that while soil P in some catchment areas of the Province is low, surface waters within these catchments are, nonetheless, every bit as eutrophic as other local catchments where soil P is high. Soil P measurements on over 6000 samples from Northern Ireland soils (A horizon only) have indicated that Olsen‐P values of improved grassland on most parent materials are linearly related to animal intensification. Exceptions are soils derived from peat, marl and basalt. For each of the latter soils, the measured Olsen‐P was shown to be around 10 mg L–1 lower than expected for farms with similar intensification on other parent materials. In particular, the mean Olsen‐P values of samples from basaltic soils under grass with total Fe above 62 g kg–1 and total Mg above 16 g kg–1 were significantly lower than those from basaltic soils with low total Fe (<37 g kg–1) and total Mg (<8 g kg–1). As a result of the depressed Olsen‐P value, excessive quantities of P may be applied to these soils to maintain a recommended soil P index thereby enhancing the potential for nutrient enrichment of adjacent surface waters. In such cases, coworkers have shown that acid ammonium oxalate may be a better extractant than bicarbonate as an indicator of plant‐available P.