The study was designed to test the hypothesis that P excretion in manure of dairy cattle could be reduced by manipulating electrolyte balance of the diet. Feces was the main route of P excretion, but fecal P was not affected by dietary cation-anion (DCAB) (P > 0.05). Plasma concentration of P tended (P < 0.10) to be higher at lower DCAB levels, implying that DCAB may have influenced P homeostasis. The overall P balance was not affected by the different DCAB levels. The range of DCAB where both P excretion and animal performance could be optimised is very narrow (+250 to +350 mEq/kg DM), so using DCAB to control P excretion in dairy cattle requires caution. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

Eutrophication is an increase in primary plant nutrients (Nitrogen [N] and Phosphorus [P]) in oceans, estuaries and lakes. The consequences of eutrophication are harmful algal blooms (HABs), resulting in algal toxin production and the depletion of oxygen as the extensive biomass decays. P is often the limiting nutrient and is viewed as a significant environmental problem. Most of the excess P that enters aquatic ecosystems originates from anthropogenic sources such as fertilizers, sewage, animal wastes, compost, crop residues, and wastewater. Over time, one of the main reservoirs of P becomes organic P (Po). We investigated the chemical nature and dynamics of P in cyanobacteria, horse manure, stormwater treatment areas, and rice fields. To better understand the chemical nature of P, the identification of specific P compounds was required, which was achieved through 31P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. We investigated how paramagnetic metals and quadrupolar nuclei cause severe line broadening, peak shifts, and decreased the signal to noise ratio. Results revealed that certain Po forms are readily bioavailable to Microcystis aeruginosa. Additionally, the potential heterotrophic use of the organic portion (e.g., glucose, glycerol) of these P compounds are indicated for the growth and persistence of Microcystis aeruginosa. We showed that the cultivation of rice (Oryza sativa L.) had been found to effectively reduce P from agrarian soil and water through plant uptake and, therefore, minimizing downstream eutrophication. Soil, water, sugarcane, and rice plants at two different stages were analyzed for twelve different elements. Finally, we examined how a “relic” agrarian ditch in Stormwater Treatment Area 1 East (STA-1E) can be used for the retention and sequestration of P and other nutrients. The STAs were established to capture P from agricultural and other sources before reaching the Everglades. Retained P is primarily stored in the wetland soils and sediments, generated through a collection of interrelated physical, chemical, and biological processes. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2020. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

No description available.

The application of substantial quantities of phosphorus (P) has been required to increase productivity on many Australian soils. Unfortunately, these applications have often resulted in increased concentrations of P in surface runoff that contributes to excessive algal growth in surface waters and consequently a decline in their quality. The concentrations of P in runoff from intensively managed pastures are often high (1-5 mg/L) and typically at least an order of magnitude higher than water quality targets. Although a substantial amount of research has been devoted to the problem of P accumulation and mobilisation in arable systems ( in which P is typically mobilised by the action of raindrop impact and subsequently transported in particulate form ), there has been substantially less research in intensively managed pasture systems. Consequently, there is a paucity of knowledge concerning the fundamental processes and factors responsible for P in runoff from these systems and a dearth of truly effective remedial strategies. In this thesis, the accumulation of P in soil under intensively managed pastures used for dairying and the processes responsible for its mobilisation in surface runoff were investigated. This research was undertaken at two research sites in South - east Australia, i.e. Camden in New South Wales and Flaxley in South Australia. A number of factors relating to scale and hydrology may influence the processes of P mobilisation and its concentration in runoff. A comparison was made of the forms and concentrations of P in runoff between a typical rainfall simulation methodology and large runoff plots. The effect of rainfall intensity on the forms and concentrations of P was also investigated. The concentrations of P in runoff from small - scale, high - intensity rainfall simulations were on average 33 % lower than those from large plots ( approximating hillslopes ) although the processes of mobilisation ( as evidenced by runoff P forms ) were similar. Increasing rainfall intensity resulted in decreasing P concentrations, but similar forms of P. It was hypothesised that changes in hydrological characteristics ( residence time and depth of runoff ) were responsible for the differences in the P concentrations. A model of P mobilisation ( incorporating hydrological and P - release characteristics ) was developed and shown to successfully predict runoff P concentrations under a range of rainfall intensities. These findings and the subsequent model were used in the successful modelling of landscape scale nutrient exports based on rainfall simulation data as part of a separate, but complementary project. There is anecdotal evidence to suggest that Australian soils are relatively ' leaky ' in terms of P in runoff compared to soils overseas. Consequently, comparisons of the labile soil P characteristics and soil P - runoff P relationships were made between Australian soils and soils of similar fertility from the USA, UK and New Zealand ( using both experimental data and data sourced from the literature ). It was concluded that Australian soils leak more P than soils of similar fertility in the USA, UK and New Zealand, although it was beyond the scope of the thesis to make more detailed comparisons between Australian and overseas soils. The accumulation and mobilisation of P in two soils used for intensive pasture production in Australia were investigated. In intensive pasture systems P accumulated in the shallowest zones of the soil and principally as inorganic P. The concentrations of labile P were 3 - 5 times higher in the top 0.01 m than in the top 0.1 m. Using a simple model, it was estimated that only the top several mm of soil influence runoff P concentrations. The dominant form of P in runoff was shown to be orthophosphate although in low to moderate fertility soils, dissolved organic P can constitute a substantial proportion of the P in runoff. These results confirm the need to reduce the pool of P available for mobilisation in the immediate topsoil in order to reduce runoff P concentrations. Because P is stratified, it was hypothesised that one method to reduce the pool of P available for mobilisation is to de - stratify the soil ( i.e. mix the topsoil ). The effect of this technique on runoff P concentrations was investigated in laboratory and rainfall simulation experiments. These experiments revealed that reductions in runoff P concentrations between 45 and 70 % can be achieved by de - stratification of soils under permanent pastures. It was hypothesised that the benefits of de - stratification could be maximised using a combination of information relating to catchment hydrology and the spatial distribution of soil P and that this would result in large reductions in P exports with a relatively small degree of inconvenience to land managers. Given the limited opportunities identified in previous research to reduce P exports in runoff, the strategic utilisation of de - stratification is a potentially important option in water quality management for the dairy industry and warrants further investigation. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, 2006.

Non-point source pollution of surface waters with phosphorous (P) transported from agricultural soils has emerged as a major environmental issue in the last decade. Regulations limiting P accumulation in surface soils have been established to protect surface water quality. Yet, little information is available on the quantities of P that may leach through soils and the factors influencing P leaching in agricultural soils. One important factor may be the type of fertilizer P applied, since it is known that P solubility varies among fertilizer sources. The purpose of this thesis was to quantify P leaching in soils amended with inorganic and organic fertilizers. / In a field study, we found that the fertilizer P source (triple superphosphate, composted cattle manure, or a mixture of the two) did not affect soil test P concentration, the degree of soil P saturation, or P leaching in a sandy-loam soil. The soil test P level in the 0--15-cm depth (146 mg P kg -1) exceeded the critical limit of 66-mg kg-1 established in Quebec, and ortho-P and DOP concentrations in leachates collected from piezometers were generally higher than the provincial water quality standard of 0.03 mg P L-1. If transported from our study site, P leached through this coarse-textured soil could pose a threat to groundwater and surface water quality. / These findings were verified in the laboratory with two coarse-textured soils. We found that more NO3-N and DON were leached from soils receiving inorganic N and P fertilizers than composted cattle manure, but the amounts of ortho-P and DOP leached were not affected by fertilizer sources. In coarse-textured soils, the quantities of P leached can be substantial, but depends more on soil characteristics than the fertilizer P source.

Eutrophication impacts the quality of many surface waters worldwide. Algal blooms threaten lake water quality and in order to control their growth, understanding of nutrient transport at the field-scale is essential. In order to accomplish this, a combination of field monitoring and computer modeling with the SWAT model was undertaken. / Four sites located in the Pike River watershed of southern Quebec were instrumented to monitor nutrient losses from both clay loam and sandy loam soils under both subsurface and naturally drained conditions. Results illustrate how the presence of subsurface drainage influences phosphorus loss depending on soil texture and structure. Total phosphorus loss from the clay loam subsurface drained site was 4.0 kg ha-1, 55% greater than the naturally drained clay loam site. Total phosphorus loss from the sandy loam subsurface drained site was 1.2 kg ha-1, 14% less than the naturally drained sandy loam site. Total phosphorus losses from the subsurface drainage systems in the clay loam field and the sandy loam field were 2.3 and 0.4 kg ha-1, respectively. Particulate phosphorus was the dominant (78%) form of phosphorus loss from the subsurface drainage system at the clay loam site. This indicates that bypass flow through the soil profile in the clay loam field led to excessive total phosphorus loss. / SWAT, a watershed-scale model was calibrated with over 6 site years of data, in an attempt to simulate hydrology and pollutant transport at the field-scale. After calibration, the monthly Nash-Sutcliffe Efficiency varied from 0.09 to 0.74 for total drainage; 0.04 to 0.71 for sediment loading; 0.29 to 0.48 for nitrate loads and 0.28 to 0.64 for total phosphorus loads. Overall, SWAT has shown that it has the ability to simulate long-term sediment and nutrient transport at the field-scale. This makes SWAT a valuable tool for the development and evaluation of various beneficial management practices which control sediment and nutrient loss from agricultural fields.

In the Missisquoi Bay of Lake Champlain situated in the South of Quebec, phosphorus originating from agricultural sources has been found to be a major contributor to the deterioration of water quality. This study sought to evaluate the nutrient loads, most particularly phosphorus, exported through surface runoff and tile drainage from two agricultural fields of the Missisquoi Bay watershed. As part of the study, a phosphorus simulation model was tested on one agricultural field. The evaluation of FHANTM 2.0 assessed the model's capacity to simulate the transport of phosphorus on agricultural fields. / From the two experimental fields studied, the results showed that the mean phosphorus load exported was larger in surface runoff than in tile drainage. The mean phosphorus load exported was 1.21 kg ha-1yr -1 in surface runoff, and 0.61 kg ha-1yr-1 in tile drainage. In contrast, nitrate loads exiting the fields were larger in tile drainage than in surface runoff. Over the two year study, the mean nitrate load was 5.64 kg ha-1yr-1 in surface runoff, and 91.43 kg ha-1yr-1 in tile drainage. / FHANTM's simulation of hydrology for one field gave slightly negative coefficients of performance (CP), representing a poor capacity to simulate surface and subsurface runoff depths. The simulation of phosphorus concentrations in surface runoff showed a small range of values compared to field measurements, while simulations of phosphorus concentration in tile drainage were considered acceptable. Therefore, the overall evaluation of the FHANTM 2.0 model indicated that it had difficulty in simulating the transport of phosphorus from an agricultural field in Quebec.

Water table management (WTM), consisting of controlled drainage and subirrigation, can significantly reduce nitrate losses through subsurface drainage. However, recent research showed that this system could increase phosphorus (P) losses in tile drains. The cause of this increase, whether related to enhanced P solubility due to shallow water tables seen with WTM or to the addition of P by the subirrigation water, has not been investigated. / The goal of this research was to evaluate the impact of WTM on P losses and on soil P concentration, soil P saturation and soil pH with a field study. Furthermore, a laboratory soil column study was conducted to better understand the results of the field study. / The field study was carried out in 2004 and 2005 in Coteau-du-Lac (Quebec). The WTM system, with a design water table set at 0.60 m below the soil surface, was compared to conventional free drainage (FD). The results showed that WTM had no effect on the soil P concentration and saturation. However, soil pH was slightly increased in WTM plots, which may demonstrate a greater P solubility. Total outflow volumes from WTM plots were reduced by 19% and 27% in 2004 and 2005, respectively. However, P loads in drainage water from plots under WTM were greater than from FD plots due to increased P concentrations, which always exceeded Quebec's surface water quality standard of 0.03 mg/L. Of the total P concentration, around 96% was dissolved P in both treatments. / The laboratory soil column experiment, in which the two drainage treatments were simulated, also showed that P concentrations were greater under WTM than FD. This suggests that the increased P losses in the field with WTM were most likely caused by the increased P solubility due to a shallow water table rather than by the addition of P by the water used for subirrigation.

The main objective of this project was to investigate and model phosphorus (P) transport in soil column studies. A model named HYDRUS-NICA was developed, by coupling a hydrological and transport model (HYDRUS-1D model) with an aqueous chemical model (non-ideal competitive adsorption - NICA), to improve the predictions of P transport in soil and water. The HYDRUS-NICA model was developed by replacing the non-linear empirical (Freundlich and Langmuir) equations of the HYDRUS-1D model with the NICA model equations. The numerical accuracy of the HYDRUS-NICA model was then evaluated by comparing the relative errors produced by the HYDRUS-NICA and HYDRUS-1D models. The results showed that the numerical schemes of the HYDRUS-NICA code are stable. / The ability of the NICA model to describe phosphate (PO4) adsorption to soil particles was tested using soils collected from agricultural fields in southern Quebec. The surface charge and PO4 adsorption capacity of these soils were measured. Results were used to estimate the NICA model parameters using a non-linear fitting function. The NICA model accurately described the surface charge of these soils and the PO4 adsorption processes. / The HYDRUS-1D model was applied to simulate water flow and PO4 transport in re-constructed soil column experiments. The HYDRUS-1D model was calibrated based on physical and chemical parameters that were estimated from different experiments. Overall, the HYDRUS-1D model successfully simulated the water flow in the columns; however, it overestimated the final adsorbed PO4 concentrations in the soil. The discrepancies in the results suggested that the HYDRUS-1D model could not account for the differences in the soil structure found in the columns, or that the Freundlich isotherm could not adequately describe PO4 adsorption. / The HYDRUS-NICA model was calibrated and validated with results from re-packed column experiments. The simulated results were then compared with results obtained by the HYDRUS-1D model. The overall goodness-of-fit for the HYDRUS-1D model simulations was classified as poor. The HYDRUS-NICA model improved significantly the prediction of PO4 transport, with the coefficient of modeling efficiency values being close to unity, and the coefficient of residual mass values being close to zero. The HYDRUS-NICA model can be used as a tool to improve the prediction of PO4 transport at the field scale.

Eutrophication resulting from phosphorus (P) accumulation in water systems has been a worldwide concern for three decades. Agricultural soils are known to be an important non-point source of P in waterways. The objectives of this research are to identify agricultural management practices that reduce the risk of P loss from soils, and to investigate the underlying mechanisms of P retention and loss from soils. In the short term (4 years), dissolved P loads were not affected by tillage and were similar in corn (in a continuous corn rotation) and soybean (in a soybean/corn rotation) production systems. Soils amended with composted cattle manure had a greater P load than chemically fertilized soils. On average, 30% of the total P leached was in organic P forms, indicating that organic P compounds could also be problematic to water systems. Although manure application improved soil aggregation and thus may increase P retention by avoiding soil erosion, P loss through subsurface flow by leaching may be substantial. A simple soil test, either Mehlich-3 P or P saturation ratio can predict the P leaching potential, but water ponding on the surface of agricultural land could significantly affect the accuracy of the prediction. / The P adsorption data was fit with the Langmuir 2-surface model, which predicted that up to 90% of the native adsorbed P was distributed on the high-energy surface. Native adsorbed P in manured soils was weakly retained, as the binding strength coefficient was 50 times less in manured than chemically fertilized soil. This findings was confirmed by measuring P desorption, which showed that P desorption rate was almost 3 times greater from manured soils than from chemically fertilized soils. Manuring alters soil particle surfaces by increasing negative charge. This is the direct reason for less P adsorption and greater P desorption by manured soils. / The Langmuir 2-surface model and the adapted non-ideal competitive adsorption (MICA) model were equally good at modeling P adsorption data. However, the NICA model is more robust and can predict phosphate adsorption with changing soil solution pH. The simultaneously modeling of P adsorption and hydroxyl adsorption with the NICA model makes it a promising tool for analyzing competitive adsorption among anions in soils.