Assessment of the Effects of Poultry Litter on Surface Runoff Water Quality from Agricultural Lands

The risk of surface-water contamination by herbicides is greatest following application to cropland when the active ingredients are at the maximum concentration and the soil is the most vulnerable to erosion following cultivation. This study determined the magnitude of surface runoff losses of herbicide and nutrients at, and subsequent to, application. The first of three weekly 10-min, 2.6-cm rainfalls were simulated on triplicated 1-m plots (a set) on which corn had been planted and the herbicide (metolachlor/atrazine, 1.5:1.0) and fertilizer (28% N at 123 kg ha−1) had just been applied. Identical simulations were applied to two other adjacent plot sets (protected from rainfall) 1 and 2 wk following herbicide application. Runoff (natural, simulated) was monitored for soil, nutrient and herbicide losses. Concentrations of total phosphorus in surface runoff water and nitrate N in field-filtered samples were not significantly influenced by the time of the rainfall simulation but exceeded provincial water-quality objectives. Atrazine and metolachlor runoff losses were greatest from simulated rainfall (about 5% loss) immediately following application. Subsequent simulated rainfall usually resulted in < 1% herbicide runoff losses. Herbicide concentrations in all plot runoff samples exceeded provincial drinking-water quality objectives. Since herbicide surface transport is primarily in the solution phase (not via association with soil particles), water-management conservation technologies are the key to retaining these chemicals on cropland. Key words: Herbicide, runoff, rainfall simulation, partitioning, water quality

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Assessing P fertiliser use in vegetable production: agronomic and environmental implications

Soil Research ◽

10.1071/sr10056 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 48 (8) ◽

pp. 674 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

K. Y. Chan ◽

T. Wells ◽

D. Fahey ◽

S. M. Eldridge ◽

C. G. Dorahy

Keyword(s):

Water Quality ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Management Practices ◽

Poultry Litter ◽

Vegetable Production ◽

Environmental Implications ◽

Runoff Water ◽

Soil P ◽

Farming Practice

Vegetable production is often located in the peri-urban areas close to large cities. In Sydney, Australia, excessive levels of phosphorus (P) have been reported in the soils, and vegetable farms have long been regarded as a potential source of the P that enters Sydney’s waterways. We report vegetable production under varying soil P conditions and the consequent changes in soil P, as well as water quality of runoff and leachate after growing 5 crops in a field trial where inputs in the form of garden organic compost were compared to current farmers’ practice. No difference in vegetable yield was observed between 100 and 400 mg/kg of soil Colwell P (0–0.10 m); therefore, our results indicate that the excessive soil P levels in the vegetable farms around Sydney are not important for optimal vegetable production. Results from runoff and leachate studies clearly demonstrate that high concentrations of P in soils used for vegetable production under the current farming practice around Sydney have increased the potential to export P and to negatively affect water quality of receiving environments. The significant increases in soluble P concentrations found in the soil and runoff water from the current farming practice can be attributed to the use of poultry litter. In contrast, using compost in place of poultry litter resulted in significantly reduced soil P accumulation and P concentration in runoff and leachate. Training and education programs for farmers and their advisors are recommended to encourage more sustainable fertiliser management practices and reduce the accumulation of P in the environment.

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SURFACE RUNOFF WATER QUALITY FROM DEVELOPED AREAS SURROUNDING A RECREATIONAL LAKE

Lake and Reservoir Management ◽

10.1080/07438148409354482 ◽

1984 ◽

Vol 1 (1) ◽

pp. 40-47

Author(s):

Jay A. Bloomfield ◽

James W. Sutherland ◽

James Swart ◽

Clifford Siegfried

Keyword(s):

Water Quality ◽

Surface Runoff ◽

Runoff Water ◽

Recreational Lake

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Water Quality of Surface Runoff from Grazed Fescue Grassland Watersheds in Alberta

Water Quality Research Journal ◽

10.2166/wqrj.2002.036 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 37 (3) ◽

pp. 543-562 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Emmanuel Mapfumo ◽

Walter D. Willms ◽

David S. Chanasyk

Keyword(s):

Water Quality ◽

Electrical Conductivity ◽

Organic Carbon ◽

Surface Runoff ◽

Total Dissolved Solids ◽

Total Carbon ◽

Runoff Water ◽

Dissolved Solids ◽

Heavy Grazing

Abstract A study was conducted at Stavely Research Station, Alberta, to determine the quantity and quality of surface runoff from small grassland watersheds under three grazing intensities, viz. ungrazed, heavy grazing (2.4 animal unit months per hectare, AUM ha-1) and very heavy grazing (4.8 AUM ha-1). The volume of surface runoff varied each year (1998, 1999 and 2000) and also differed across watersheds, with lower runoff in the ungrazed compared with the heavy and very heavy grazed watersheds. Total dissolved solids in surface runoff water ranged between 34 to 360 mg L-1, and that for runoff from the very heavy grazed watershed was greater than that from other watersheds. Electrical conductivity increased with increased grazing intensity on the watershed. In two of three years the very heavy grazed watershed had greater nitrate concentrations than the other two watersheds. In all three years the levels of nitrate were lower than the maximum acceptable level for drinking water (10 mg L-1 as nitrogen). Levels of orthophosphate (PO43-) in surface runoff from all three watersheds and the three years of study were less than 1 mg L-1, and mostly within the range considered typical for rivers and streams. Total carbon (up to 500 mg L-1) was greater than the amounts considered typical for streams and rivers, and most of it was organic carbon. Nuisance organisms such as algae, nematodes, Giardia spp., Cryptosporidium spp. and rotifers were detected in some surface runoff samples. However, no crustaceans were detected. The results of a canonical correlation analysis indicated that the dominant external forcing factors (meteorological and management) in influencing water quality were year of study, water temperature and grazing. Surface runoff discharge did not influence water quality measurements. The dominant water quality parameters were found to be total carbon, organic carbon, total dissolved solids and electrical conductivity. Overall, this study indicated that during the three years, the surface runoff volumes from the watersheds were small and grazing of these watersheds posed little risk of nutrient (e.g., nitrate, ammonia and orthophosphate) contamination of adjacent streams, but organic carbon loading and dissolved solids may be of concern. The presence of parasites was detected in two or less runoff water samples each year, and thus pose little risk of contamination of adjacent streams. However, it may be necessary to monitor parasites especially in areas under cow-calf operations.

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Diffuse Runoff from Agricultural Lands within a River Basin and Water Protection Measures

10.5772/intechopen.100439 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Liudmila V. Kireicheva ◽

Valery M. Yashin ◽

Ekaterina А. Lentyaeva ◽

Aleksey D. Timoshkin

Keyword(s):

Water Quality ◽

Surface Runoff ◽

Treated Wastewater ◽

Phosphorus Compounds ◽

Main Role ◽

Agricultural Lands ◽

Protection Measures ◽

Upper Volga ◽

Phosphorus And Potassium ◽

Drainage Waters

This paper is dedicated to the study of the pollutants coming from agricultural lands located within the catchment into the Yakhroma river, a third-order tributary of the Upper Volga. The area of the river catchment is 1437 km2. It is located in the north-eastern part of the Moscow region, which geographically belongs to the Klinsko-Dmitrov ridge (the upper part of the basin) and the Upper Volga Lowland. The slopes and floodplain included in the reclaimed lands (more than 9 th ha) are lined with cities, rural settlements, numerous kitchen gardens, and agricultural lands. Water quality, river profile from the source to the mouth, and sources of pollution within the reclaimed lands of the Yakhroma floodplain were studied from 2004 to the present. A geospatial intelligence system (GIS) was developed for the catchment area. Land areas are allocated according to the conditions of surface runoff formation, taking into account soil types and slopes. The studies of the river water quality, tributaries, and drainage network in the reclaimed lands showed biogenic pollution caused by insufficiently treated wastewater discharged from cities and agricultural land, especially within the reclaimed massif. The calculations of the removal of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium from surface and drainage waters revealed that the main role in the pollution of both surface and drainage waters is played by nitrogen and potassium compounds, and to a lesser extent by phosphorus compounds. For nitrogen, removal from surface runoff was 27.36 t/year; for phosphorus it was 6.06 t/year; for potassium it was 242.28 t/year; with drainage runoff, the removal of nitrogen was 98.88 t/year; the removal of phosphorus was 0.38 t/year; the removal of potassium was 37.04 t/year. To reduce the inflow of surface diffuse runoff and to purify collector and drainage waters from nitrogen and phosphorus compounds, including the creation of bioplateaus and biosorption structures, it was proposed to use a set of protective measures, which will significantly reduce the biogenic load on the river flow.

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