Soil temperature,nitrogen concentration,and residence time affect nitrogen uptake efficiency in citrus

We try to elucidate which environmental and soil factors control nitrogen uptake efficiency in citrus. Effects of residence time and nitrogen (N) concentration (three 500-mL applications of 7 mg N L(-1), representative of reclaimed water used for citrus irrigation in central Florida, or one 150-mL application of 70 mg N L(-1)) on nitrogen uptake efficiency (NUE) of young citrus seedlings were studied. Increasing residence times from 2 to 8 h increased NUE from 36 to 82% and from 17 to 34% for high and low application frequencies, respectively. We developed a model to predict N uptake based on root density, N concentration, and soil temperature (Ts). Assuming a base temperature (Tb) of 10 degrees C, N uptake temperature sum (UTS) = sigma(Ts - Tb)/24 (degrees CdN, degree day units of N uptake). To eliminate the risk of N leaching for young seedlings, minimum uptake periods of 5 and 16 degrees CdN were required at initial soil N concentrations of 0.9 and 2.5 mg N L(-1), respectively. After correcting for differences in root length, this information was then used to predict the effect of irrigation practices on N uptake from reclaimed water for mature trees. Applying 2500 mm yr(-1) vs. 400 mm yr(-1) reclaimed water reduced the NUE of N in this water from 100 to 63% during the summer and from 100 to 28% during the winter. Reductions in NUE at higher irrigation rates appeared to be related to N displacement below the root zone prior to complete N uptake.     

Fate of nitrate and bromide in an unsaturated zone of a sandy soil under citrus production

Understanding water and nutrient transport through the soil profile is important for efficient irrigation and nutrient management to minimize excess nutrient leaching below the rootzone. We applied four rates of N (28, 56, 84, and 112 kg N ha(-1); equivalent to one-fourth of annual N rates being evaluated in this study for bearing citrus trees), and 80 kg Br- ha(-1) to a sandy Entisol with >25-yr-old citrus trees to (i) determine the temporal changes in NO3-N and Br- distribution down the soil profile (2.4 m), and (ii) evaluate the measured concentrations of NO3-N and Br- at various depths with those predicted by the Leaching Estimation and Chemistry Model (LEACHM). Nitrate N and Br concentrations approached the background levels by 42 and 214 d, respectively. Model-predicted volumetric water content and concentrations of NO3-N and Br- at various depths within the entire soil profile were very close to measured values. The LEACHM data showed that 21 to 36% of applied fertilizer N leached below the root zone, while tree uptake accounted for 40 to 53%. Results of this study enhance our understanding of N dynamics in these sandy soils, and provide better evaluation of N and irrigation management to improve uptake efficiency, reduce N losses, and minimize the risk of ground water nitrate contamination from soils highly vulnerable to nutrient leaching.     

Soil chemical changes resulting from irrigation with water co-produced with coalbed natural gas

Land application of coalbed natural gas (CBNG) co-produced water is a popular management option within northwestern Powder River Basin (PRB) of Wyoming. This study evaluated the impacts of land application of CBNG waters on soil chemical properties at five sites. Soil samples were collected from different depths (0-5, 5-15, 15-30, 30-60, 60-90, and 90-120 cm) from sites that were irrigated with CBNG water for 2 to 3 yr and control sites. Chemical properties of CBNG water used for irrigation on the study sites indicate that electrical conductivity of CBNG water (EC(w)) and sodium adsorption ratio of CBNG water (SAR(w)) values were greater than those recommended for irrigation use on the soils at the study sites. Soil chemical analyses indicated that electrical conductivity of soil saturated paste extracts (EC(e)) and sodium adsorption ratio of soil saturated paste extracts (SAR(e)) values for irrigated sites were significantly greater (P < 0.05) than control plots in the upper 30-cm soil depths. Mass balance calculations suggested that there has been significant buildup of Na in irrigated soils due to CBNG irrigation water as well as Na mobilization within the soil profiles. Results indicate that irrigation with CBNG water significantly impacts certain soil properties, particularly if amendments are not properly utilized. This study provides information for better understanding changes in soil properties due to land application of CBNG water. These changes must be considered in developing possible criteria for preserving fragile PRB ecosystems.     

Long-term effects of clipping and nitrogen management in turfgrass on soil organic carbon and nitrogen dynamics: the CENTURY model simulation

Experiments to document the long-term effects of clipping management on N requirements, soil organic carbon (SOC), and soil organic nitrogen (SON) are difficult and costly and therefore few. The CENTURY ecosystem model offers an opportunity to study long-term effects of turfgrass clipping management on biomass production, N requirements, SOC and SON, and N leaching through computer simulation. In this study, the model was verified by comparing CENTURY-predicted Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) clipping yields with field-measured clipping yields. Long-term simulations were run for Kentucky bluegrass grown under home lawn conditions on a clay loam soil in Colorado. The model predicted that compared with clipping-removed management, returning clippings for 10 to 50 yr would increase soil C sequestration by 11 to 25% and nitrogen sequestration by 12 to 28% under a high (150 kg N ha(-1) yr(-1) nitrogen (N) fertilization regime, and increase soil carbon sequestration by 11 to 59% and N sequestration by 14 to 78% under a low (75 kg N ha(-1) yr(-1)) N fertilization regime. The CENTURY model was further used as a management supporting system to generate optimal N fertilization rates as a function of turfgrass age. Returning grass clippings to the turf-soil ecosystem can reduce N requirements by 25% from 1 to 10 yr after turf establishment, by 33% 11 to 25 yr after establishment, by 50% 25 to 50 yr after establishment, and by 60% thereafter. The CENTURY model shows potential for use as a decision-supporting tool for maintaining turf quality and minimizing negative environmental impacts.     

Landfill cover soil, soil solution, and vegetation responses to municipal landfill leachate applications

Municipal solid waste landfill leachate must be removed and treated to maintain landfill cover integrity and to prevent contamination of surface and ground waters. From 2003 to 2007, we studied an onsite disposal system in Ottawa County, Michigan, where leachate was spray irrigated on the vegetated landfill cover. We established six 20-m-diameter circular experimental plots on the landfill; three were spray irrigated as part of the operational system, and three remained as untreated control plots. We quantified the effects of leachate application on soil properties, soil solution chemistry, vegetative growth, and estimated solute leaching. The leachate had high mean levels of electrical conductivity (0.6-0.7 S m(-1)), Cl (760-900 mg L(-1)), and NH(4)-N (290-390 mg L(-1)) but was low in metals and volatile organic compounds. High rates of leachate application in 2003 (32 cm) increased soil electrical conductivity and NO(3)-N leaching, so a sequential rotation of spray areas was implemented to limit total leachate application to <9.6 cm yr(-1) per spray area. Concentrations of NO(3)-N and leaching losses remained higher on irrigated plots in subsequent years but were substantially reduced by spray area rotation. Leachate irrigation increased plant biomass but did not significantly affect soil metal concentrations, and plant metal concentrations remained within normal ranges. Rotating spray areas and timing irrigation to conform to seasonal capacities for evapotranspiration reduced the localized impacts of leachate application observed in 2003. Careful monitoring of undiluted leachate applications is required to avoid adverse impacts to vegetation or soils and elevated solute leaching losses.     

Soil water nitrate and ammonium dynamics under a sewage effluent irrigated eucalypt plantation

Managed forests and plantations are appropriate ecosystems for land-based treatment of effluent, but concerns remain regarding nutrient contamination of ground- and surface waters. Monthly NO3-N and NH4-N concentrations in soil water, accumulated soil N, and gross ammonification and nitrification rates were measured in the second year of a second rotation of an effluent irrigated Eucalyptus globulus plantation in southern Western Australia to investigate the separate and interactive effects of drip and sprinkler irrigation, effluent and water irrigation, irrigation rate, and harvest residues retention. Nitrate concentrations of soil water were greater under effluent irrigation than water irrigation but remained <15 mg L(-1) when irrigated at the normal rate (1.5-2.0 mm d(-1)), and there was little evidence of downward movement. In contrast, NH4-N concentrations of soil water at 30 and 100 cm were generally greater under effluent irrigation than water irrigation when irrigated at the normal rate because of direct effluent NH4-N input and indirect ammonification of soil organic N. Drip irrigation of effluent approximately doubled peak NO3-N and NH4-N concentrations in soil water. Harvest residue retention reduced concentrations of soil water NO3-N at 30 cm during active sprinkler irrigation, but after 1 yr of irrigation there was no significant difference in the amount of N stored in the soil system, although harvest residue retention did enhance the "nitrate flush" in the following spring. Gross mineralization rates without irrigation increased with harvest residue retention and further increased with water irrigation. Irrigation with effluent further increased gross nitrification to 3.1 mg N kg(-1) d(-1) when harvest residues were retained but had no effect on gross ammonification, which suggested the importance of heterotrophic nitrification. The downward movement of N under effluent irrigation was dominated by NH4-N rather than NO3-N. Improving the capacity of forest soils to store and transform N inputs through organic matter management must consider the dynamic equilibrium between N input, uptake, and immobilization according to soil C status, and the effect changing microbial processes and environmental conditions can have on this equilibrium.     

Alfalfa rapidly remediates excess inorganic nitrogen at a fertilizer spill site

By 19%, standard remediation techniques had significantly reduced the concentration of nitrate nitrogen (NO3- -N) in local ground water at the site of a 1989 anhydrous ammonia spill, but NO3- -N concentrations in portions of the site still exceeded the public drinking water standard. Our objective was to determine whether local soil and ground water quality could be improved with alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.). A 3-yr study was conducted in replicated plots (24 by 30 m) located hydrologically upgradient of the ground water under the spill site. Three alfalfa entries ['Agate', Ineffective Agate (a non-N2-fixing elite germplasm similar to Agate), and MWNC-4 (an experimental germplasm)] were seeded in the spring of 1996. Corn (Zea mays L.) or wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) was seeded adjacent to the alfalfa each year. Crops were irrigated with N-containing ground water to meet water demand. During the 3-yr period, about 540 kg of inorganic N was removed from the aquifer through irrigation of 4.9 million L water. Cumulative N removal from the site over 3 yr was 972 kg N ha(-1) in Ineffective Agate alfalfa hay, compared with 287 kg N ha(-1) for the annual cereal grain. Soil solution NO3- concentrations were reduced to low and stable levels by alfalfa, but were more variable under the annual crops. Ground water quality improved, as evidenced by irrigation water N concentration. We do not know how much N was removed by the N2-fixing alfalfas, but it appears that either fixing or non-N2-fixing alfalfa will effectively remove inorganic N from N-affected sites.     

Controlling nitrate leaching in irrigated agriculture

The impact of improved irrigation and nutrient practices on ground water quality was assessed at the Nebraska Management System Evaluation Area using ground water quality data collected from 16 depths at 31 strategically located multilevel samplers three times annually from 1991 to 1996. The site was sectioned into four 13.4-ha management fields: (i) a conventional furrow-irrigated corn (Zea mays L.) field; (ii) a surge-irrigated corn field, which received 60% less water and 31% less N fertilizer than the conventional field; (iii) a center pivot-irrigated corn field, which received 66% less water and 37% less N fertilizer than the conventional field; and (iv) a center pivot-irrigated alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) field. Dating (3H/3He) indicated that the uppermost ground water was <1 to 2 yr old and that the aquifer water was stratified with the deepest water approximately 20 yr old. Recharge during the wet growing season in 1993 reduced the average NO3-N concentration in the top 3 m 20 mg L(-1), effectively diluting and replacing the NO3-contaminated water. Nitrate concentrations in the shallow zone of the aquifer increased with depth to water. Beneath the conventional and surge-irrigated fields, shallow ground water concentrations returned to the initial 30 mg NO3-N L(-1) level by fall 1995; however, beneath the center pivot-irrigated corn field, concentrations remained at approximately 13 mg NO3-N L(-1) until fall 1996. A combination of sprinkler irrigation and N fertigation significantly reduced N leaching with only minor reductions (6%) in crop yield.     

Collateral geochemical impacts of agricultural nitrogen enrichment from 1963 to 1985: a southern Wisconsin ground water depth profile

In this study, we used chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) age-dating to investigate the geochemistry of N enrichment within a bedrock aquifer depth profile beneath a south central Wisconsin agricultural landscape. Measurement of N(2)O and excess N(2) allowed us to reconstruct the total NO(3)(-) and total nitrogen (TN) leached to ground water and was essential for tracing the separate influences of soil nitrification and ground water denitrification in the collateral geochemical chronology. We identify four geochemical impacts due to a steady ground water N enrichment trajectory (39 +/- 2.2 micromol L(-1) yr(-1), r(2) = 0.96) over two decades (1963-1985) of rapidly escalating N use. First, as a by-product of soil nitrification, N(2)O entered ground water at a stable (r(2) = 0.99) mole ratio of 0.24 +/- 0.007 mole% (N(2)O-N/NO(3)-N). The gathering of excess N(2)O in ground water is a potential concern relative to greenhouse gas emissions and stratospheric ozone depletion after it discharges to surface water. Second, excess N(2) measurements revealed that NO(3)(-) was a prominent, mobile, labile electron acceptor comparable in importance to O(2.) Denitrification transformed 36 +/- 15 mole% (mol mol(-1) x 100) of the total N within the profile to N(2) gas, delaying exceedance of the NO(3)(-) drinking water standard by approximately 6 yr. Third, soil acids produced from nitrification substantially increased the concentrations of major, dolomitic ions (Ca, Mg, HCO(3)(-)) in ground water relative to pre-enrichment conditions. By 1985, concentrations approximately doubled; by 2006, CFC age-date projections suggest concentrations may have tripled. Finally, the nitrification induced mobilization of Ca may have caused a co-release of P from Ca-rich soil surfaces. Dissolved P increased from an approximate background value of 0.02 mg L(-1) in 1963 to 0.07 mg L(-1) in 1985. The CFC age-date projections suggest the concentration could have reached 0.11 mg L(-1) in ground water recharge by 2006. These results highlight an intersection of the N and P cycles potentially important for managing the quality of ground water discharged to surface water.     

Bermudagrass management in the Southern Piedmont USA: VI. Soil-profile inorganic nitrogen

Fate of applied N in forage-based agricultural systems is important to long-term production and environmental impacts. We evaluated the factorial combination of N fertilization targeted to supply 20 g N m 2 yr(-1) and harvest strategies on soil-profile inorganic N during the first 5 yr of 'Coastal' bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.] management. Harvest strategy had much larger effects than fertilization strategy, most notably that soil-profile inorganic N was lower when hayed than under other systems. In the upper rooting zone (0- to 0.3-m depth), soil inorganic N (initially at 3.1 g m(-2)) remained unchanged during the 5 yr under unharvested and low and high grazing pressures (0.00 +/- 0.08 g m(-2) yr(-1)), but declined with haying (-0.25 g m(-2) yr(-1)). In the lower rooting zone (0.3- to 0.9-m depth), soil inorganic N (initially at 2.9 g m(-2)) accumulated with unharvested and low and high grazing pressure (0.64 +/- 0.20 g m(-2) yr(-1)), but remained unchanged with haying (-0.06 g m(-2) yr(-1)). Below the rooting zone (0.9- to 1.5-m depth), soil inorganic N (initially at 5.8 g m(-2)) increased with unharvested and high grazing pressure (0.34 +/- 0.03 g m(-2) yr(-1)), was unchanged with low grazing pressure (-0.10 g m(-2) yr(-1)), and declined with haying (-0.50 g m(-2) yr(-1)). Applied N appears to have been efficiently utilized by forage with subsequent sequestration into soil organic matter and little movement of inorganic N below the rooting zone (< 2% of applied N), irrespective of inorganic or organic fertilization strategy designed to supply sufficient N for high animal production from grazing.     

Land application of domestic effluent onto four soil types: plant uptake and nutrient leaching

Land application has become a widely applied method for treating wastewater. However, it is not always clear which soil-plant systems should be used, or why. The objectives of our study were to determine if four contrasting soils, from which the pasture is regularly cut and removed, varied in their ability to assimilate nutrients from secondary-treated domestic effluent under high hydraulic loadings, in comparison with unirrigated, fertilized pasture. Grassed intact soil cores (500 mm in diameter by 700 mm in depth) were irrigated (50 mm wk(-1)) with secondary-treated domestic effluent for two years. Soils included a well-drained Allophanic Soil (Typic Hapludand), a poorly drained Gley Soil (Typic Endoaquept), a well-drained Pumice Soil formed from rhyolitic tephra (Typic Udivitrand), and a well-drained Recent Soil formed in a sand dune (Typic Udipsamment). Effluent-irrigated soils received between 746 and 815 kg N ha(-1) and 283 and 331 kg P ha(-1) over two years of irrigation, and unirrigated treatments received 200 kg N ha(-1) and 100 kg P ha(-1) of dissolved inorganic fertilizer over the same period. Applying effluent significantly increased plant uptake of N and P from all soil types. For the effluent-irrigated soils plant N uptake ranged from 186 to 437 kg N ha(-1) yr(-1), while plant P uptake ranged from 40 to 88 kg P ha(-1) yr(-1) for the effluent-irrigated soils. Applying effluent significantly increased N leaching losses from Gley and Recent Soils, and after two years ranged from 17 to 184 kg N ha(-1) depending on soil type. Effluent irrigation only increased P leaching from the Gley Soil. All P leaching losses were less than 49 kg P ha(-1) after two years. The N and P leached from effluent treatments were mainly in organic form (69-87% organic N and 35-65% unreactive P). Greater N and P leaching losses from the irrigated Gley Soil were attributed to preferential flow that reduced contact between the effluent and the soil matrix. Increased N leaching from the Recent Soil was the result of increased leaching of native soil organic N due to the higher hydraulic loading from the effluent irrigation.     

Trace element changes in soil after long-term cattle manure applications

Manure application supplies plant nutrients, but also leads to trace element accumulation in soil. This study investigated total and EDTA-extractable B, Cd, Co, Cu and Zn in soil after 25 annual manure applications. The residual effect of 14 annual manure applications followed by 11 yr with no applications was also investigated. Manure was applied at 0, 30, 60 and 90 Mg ha(-1) yr(-1) (wet weight) under rainfed (treatments Mr0, Mr30, Mr60, and Mr90) and at 0, 60, 120 and 180 Mg ha(-1) yr(-1) under irrigated conditions (Mi0, Mi60, Mi120, and Mi180). The manure applications had no significant effect on soil B, Cd and Co content under both rainfed and irrigated conditions, but significantly increased total Cu and Zn content under irrigated conditions with Zn in Mi120 and Mi180 reaching the lower maximum concentration (MAC) level set by the European Community. Manure application also significantly increased EDTA-extractable Cd and Zn content in soil. Up to 27% of the total Cd (0.156 mg kg(-1)) and 21% of total Zn (38 mg kg(-1)) are found in EDTA-extractable form (Mi180 at 0-15 cm). EDTA-extractable Cd and Zn content was also significantly elevated in the irrigated residual plots due to the higher manure rates used. Thus, the impacts of cattle manure application on trace elements in soil are long lasting. Elevated Cd and Zn are a concern as other studies have linked them with certain types of cancers and human illnesses.     

Transport and fate of nitrate and pesticides: hydrogeology and riparian zone processes

There is continuing concern over potential impacts of widespread application of nutrients and pesticides on ground- and surface-water quality. Transport and fate of nitrate and pesticides were investigated in a shallow aquifer and adjacent stream, Cow Castle Creek, in Orangeburg County, South Carolina. Pesticide and pesticide degradate concentrations were detected in ground water with greatest frequency and largest concentrations directly beneath and downgradient from the corn (Zea mays L.) field where they were applied. In almost all samples in which they were detected, concentrations of pesticide degradates greatly exceeded those of parent compounds, and were still present in ground waters that were recharged during the previous 18 yr. The absence of both parent and degradate compounds in samples collected from deeper in the aquifer suggests that this persistence is limited or that the ground water had recharged before use of the pesticide. Concentrations of NO(-)(3) in ground water decreased with increasing depth and age, but denitrification was not a dominant controlling factor. Hydrologic and chemical data indicated that ground water discharges to the creek and chemical exchange takes place within the upper 0.7 m of the streambed. Ground water had its greatest influence on surface-water chemistry during low-flow periods, causing a decrease in concentrations of Cl(-), NO(-)(3), pesticides, and pesticide degradates. Conversely, shallow subsurface drainage dominates stream chemistry during high-flow periods, increasing stream concentrations of Cl(-), NO(-)(3), pesticides, and pesticide degradates. These results point out the importance of understanding the hydrogeologic setting when investigating transport and fate of contaminants in ground water and surface water.     

Biosolids and distillery effluent amendment to Irish Miscanthus ×giganteus plantations: impacts on groundwater and soil

It is necessary to determine the risk of water pollution arising from amendment of organic by-products (OBs) to energy crops under Irish conditions. Therefore, the impact of landspreading two OBs on the quality of groundwater underlying plantations of Miscanthus X giganteus was assessed. Municipal biosolids and distillery effluent (DE) were spread annually (for 4 yr) on six 0.117-ha treatment plots at rates of 100, 50, and 0%. The 100% rate represented a maximum P load of 15 t ha(-1) as per Irish EPA regulation. Groundwater was sampled for 25 mo and tested for pH, electrical conductivity, NO(3)(-), orthophosphate (PO(4)(3-)), total soluble P, K(+), Cu, Cd, Cr, Pb, Ni, and Zn. Assessment of quality was based on comparison with Irish groundwater threshold values (GTVs). The study was limited to within-plot using a "well bottom" approach and did not investigate movement of groundwater plumes or vectors of percolation through the soil profile. Mean groundwater concentrations did not exceed GTVs during the sampling period for any species, with the exception of groundwater PO(4)(3-) in the 100% DE plot, which was almost double the GTV of 0.035 mg L(-1). There was no significant build-up of nutrients or heavy metals in groundwater (or soil) for any plot. Excessive PO(4)(3-) in the 100% DE plot groundwater is likely due to high background soil P, soil characteristics, and the occurrence of macropore/soil pore flow. These factors (particularly background soil P) should be assessed when determining suitable sites for land-spreading OBs.     

Water quality impacts of converting to a poultry litter fertilization strategy

When improperly managed, land application of animal manures can harm the environment; however, limited watershed-scale runoff water quality data are available to research and address this issue. The water quality impacts of conversion to poultry litter fertilization on cultivated and pasture watersheds in the Texas Blackland Prairie were evaluated in this three-year study. Edge-of-field N and P concentrations and loads in surface runoff from new litter application sites were compared with losses under inorganic fertilization. The impact on downstream nutrient loss was also examined. In the fallow year with no fertilizer application, nutrient losses averaged 3 kg N ha(-1) and 0.9 kg P ha(-1) for the cultivated watersheds and were below 0.1 kg ha(-1) for the pasture watersheds. Following litter application, PO(4)-P concentrations in runoff were positively correlated to litter application rate and Mehlich-3 soil P levels. Following litter application, NO(3)-N and NH(4)-N concentrations in runoff were typically greater from cultivated watersheds, but PO(4)-P concentrations were greater for the pasture watersheds. Total N and P loads from the pasture watersheds (0.2 kg N ha(-1) and 0.7 kg P ha(-1)) were significantly lower than from the cultivated watersheds (32 kg N ha(-1) and 5 kg P ha(-1)) partly due to lower runoff volumes from the pasture watersheds. Downstream N and P concentrations and per-area loads were much lower than from edge-of-field watersheds. Results demonstrate that a properly managed annual litter application (4.5 Mg ha(-1) or less depending on litter N and P content) with supplemental N should supply necessary nutrients without detrimental water quality impacts.     

Phytoremediation of aged petroleum sludge: effect of irrigation techniques and scheduling

The use of higher plants to accelerate the remediation of petroleum contaminants in soil is limited by, among other factors, rooting depth and the delivery of nutrients to the microsites at which remediation occurs. The objective of this study was to test methods of enhancing root growth and remediation in the subsurface of a contaminated petroleum sludge. The phytoremediation of highly contaminated petroleum sludge (total petroleum hydrocarbons >35 g kg(-1) was tested in the greenhouse as a function of the frequency and the depth of irrigation and fertilization. Water and dissolved plant nutrients were added to the soil surface or at a depth of 30 cm, either daily or weekly. Equivalent quantities of water and nutrients were added in all cases. Daily irrigation at a depth of 30 cm invoked greater root growth and enhanced contaminant degradation relative to all other treatments. In the absence of plants, residual concentrations of petroleum hydrocarbons after 7 mo were higher than with plants. The presence of plant roots clearly improved the physical structure of the soil and increased microbial populations. Thus, the plant roots in conjunction with daily additions of soluble N and P appeared to enhance oxygen transport to greater depths in the soil, stimulate petroleum-degrading microorganisms, and provide microbial access to soil micropores. Subsurface irrigation with frequent, small amounts of water and nutrients could significantly accelerate phytoremediation of field soils contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbons.     

The effect of Oja-titun market effluent on the chemical quality of receiving OPA reservoir in Ile-Ife, Nigeria

The effect of market effluent from the Oja-titun market in Ile-Ife, Nigeria on the chemical quality of the Opa Reservoir located 3.5 km downstream was investigated between February and November 2000. Water samples were collected in February, May, August and November from 16 sites, four along each of the market drainage channels (MDC), market stream, tributary stream and the Opa River and Reservoir. The peak level of each variable-biochemical oxygen demand, temperature, total alkalinity, Na(+), K(+), Ca(2+), Mg(2+), PO(4)(3+), SO(4)(2+), Cl(-), NO(3)(-), Pb and Zn-occurred at the MDC, and decreased significantly downstream, except pH, conductivity and dissolved oxygen, which increased. Seasonal fluctuation in most variables was pronounced. Generally, there were high values in the early dry and dry seasons and low values in the rainy and early rainy seasons. Comparison of the reservoir water with international limitation standards for drinking water supply showed that the quality of the reservoir water was very low and that treatment required to achieve minimum limitation standards for drinking water would be both intensive and expensive. The study concluded that the stream borne effluent from the market impacts significantly on the chemical quality of the reservoir water although other tributaries within the Reservoir's catchment are other possible sources of pollutants in the reservoir.     

Nitrate exported in drainage waters of two sprinkler-irrigated watersheds

Nitrate contamination of surface waters has been linked to irrigated agriculture across the world. We determined the NO3-N loads in the drainage waters of two sprinkler-irrigated watersheds located in the Ebro River basin (Spain) and their relationship to irrigation and N management. Crop water requirements, irrigation, N fertilization, and the volume and NO3-N concentration of drainage waters were measured or estimated during two-year (Watershed A; 494 irrigated ha) and one-year (Watershed B; 470 irrigated ha) study periods. Maize (Zea mays L.) and alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) were grown in 40 to 60% and 15 to 33% of the irrigated areas, respectively. The seasonal irrigation performance index (IPI) ranged from 92 to 100%, indicating high-quality management of irrigation. However, the IPI varied among fields and overirrigation occurred in 17 to 44% of the area. Soil and maize stalk nitrate contents measured at harvest indicated that N fertilizer rates could be decreased. Drainage flows were 68 mm yr(-1) in Watershed A and 194 mm yr(-1) in Watershed B. Drainage NO3-N concentrations were independent of drainage flows and similar in the irrigated and nonirrigated periods (average: 23-29 mg L(-1)). Drainage flows determined the exported mass of NO3-N, which varied from 18 (Watershed A) to 49 (Watershed B) kg ha(-1) yr(-1), representing 8 (Watershed A) and 22% (Watershed B) of the applied fertilizer plus manure N. High-quality irrigation management coupled to the split application of N through the sprinkler systems allowed a reasonable compromise between profitability and reduced N pollution in irrigation return flows.     

Tile water quality following liquid swine manure application into standing corn

The quality of water draining fields fertilized with liquid swine (Sus scrofa) manure (LSM) sidedressed into standing corn (Zea mays L.) at rates ranging from 0 to 94 m(3) ha(-1), either topdressed (TD) onto the surface, or injected (INJ) into the soil once annually for each of three consecutive years was evaluated. Liquid swine manure application rate was a critical driver of preferential flow of LSM to tile as detected by turbidity, concentrations of NH(4)(+)-N, dissolved reactive phosphorus (DRP), and the presence of enteric bacteria (Escherichia coli). Contaminant movement to drains occurred immediately after 75 and 94 m(3) LSM ha(-1) were injected (e.g., 2.5 mg DRP L(-1), 3-yr average). With injection of 56 m(3) ha(-1) or less, drainage water was not turbid and concentrations of NH(4)(+)-N, DRP, and enteric bacteria were dramatically lower than with the higher rates, even when tiles flowed freely during manure application. Application method also affected tile water quality. With TD applications (37 and 56 m(3) ha(-1)), nutrients and bacteria did not move to tiles at the time of application, but with rains that fell within 3 d after application, concentrations increased (e.g., 0.1 mg DRP L(-1)), although less than with INJ. Overall, sidedress injection rates that supplied adequate crop nutrients did not compromise drainage water quality.