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Suspended Solids and Phosphorus Loads from a Clay Soil: I. Plot Studies
Author(s) -
Culley J. L. B.,
Bolton E. F.,
Bernyk V.
Publication year - 1983
Publication title -
journal of environmental quality
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.888
H-Index - 171
eISSN - 1537-2537
pISSN - 0047-2425
DOI - 10.2134/jeq1983.00472425001200040011x
Subject(s) - sediment , total suspended solids , phosphorus , effluent , surface runoff , suspended solids , hydrology (agriculture) , environmental science , tile drainage , tile , zoology , environmental engineering , soil water , chemistry , soil science , geology , wastewater , ecology , chemical oxygen demand , geotechnical engineering , paleontology , organic chemistry , biology , art , visual arts
Phosphorus and suspended solids (SS) contents in tile discharge from two southwestern Ontario clay soil drainage experiments were measured over a 2‐y period. For continuous corn ( Zea mays L.) plots, loads of SS and total P were 407 and 0.88 kg ha −1 y −1 , respectively. Suspended solids and total P loads from drains beneath permanent sod were 97 and 1.85 kg ha −1 y −1 , respectively. Comparison of these results with limited data on P and SS loads in surface runoff indicated that >50% of the total P load from these nearly level plots may be lost via subsurface tile flow. Overall, 34% of the total P load from subsurface drains was sediment‐associated. Furthermore, crop cover, P fertilization rate, and tile drain depth were found to significantly affect dissolved P export. Dissolved P concentrations in effluent from permanent bluegrass sod exceeded those from continuous corn and rotational plots. Subsurface sediment and sediment‐associated P loads were highest from continuous corn. Greater soil cover over the tile line decreased both sediment and P concentrations. Sediment‐associated P concentrations increased with P fertilization rate at one of the experimental locations.