Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Mitigation options for sediment and phosphorus losses from winter-sown arable crops.
AU - Deasy, Clare
AU - Quinton, John N.
AU - Silgram, Martyn S.
AU - Bailey, Alison P.
AU - Jackson, Bob
AU - Stevens, Carly J.
PY - 2009
Y1 - 2009
N2 - Sediment and P inputs to freshwaters from agriculture are a major problem in the United Kingdom (UK). This study investigated mitigation options for diffuse pollution losses from arable land. Field trials were undertaken at the hillslope scale over three winters at three UK sites with silt (Oxyaquic Hapludalf), sand (Udic Haplustept), and clay (Typic Haplaquept) soils. None of the mitigation treatments was effective in every year trialled, but each showed overall average reductions in losses. Over five site years, breaking up the compaction in tramlines (tractor wheel tracks) using a tine reduced losses of sediment and P to losses similar to those observed from areas without tramlines, with an average reduction in P loss of 1.06 kg TP ha–1. Compared to traditional plowing, TP losses under minimum tillage were reduced by 0.30 kg TP ha–1 over five site years, TP losses under contour cultivation were reduced by 0.30 kg TP ha–1 over two site years, and TP losses using in-field barriers were reduced by 0.24 kg TP ha–1 over two site years. In one site year, reductions in losses due to crop residue incorporation were not significant. Each of the mitigation options trialled is associated with a small cost at the farm-scale of up to £5 ha–1, or with cost savings. The results indicate that each of the treatments has the potential to be a cost-effective mitigation option, but that tramline management is the most promising treatment, because tramlines dominate sediment and P transfer in surface runoff from arable hillslopes.
AB - Sediment and P inputs to freshwaters from agriculture are a major problem in the United Kingdom (UK). This study investigated mitigation options for diffuse pollution losses from arable land. Field trials were undertaken at the hillslope scale over three winters at three UK sites with silt (Oxyaquic Hapludalf), sand (Udic Haplustept), and clay (Typic Haplaquept) soils. None of the mitigation treatments was effective in every year trialled, but each showed overall average reductions in losses. Over five site years, breaking up the compaction in tramlines (tractor wheel tracks) using a tine reduced losses of sediment and P to losses similar to those observed from areas without tramlines, with an average reduction in P loss of 1.06 kg TP ha–1. Compared to traditional plowing, TP losses under minimum tillage were reduced by 0.30 kg TP ha–1 over five site years, TP losses under contour cultivation were reduced by 0.30 kg TP ha–1 over two site years, and TP losses using in-field barriers were reduced by 0.24 kg TP ha–1 over two site years. In one site year, reductions in losses due to crop residue incorporation were not significant. Each of the mitigation options trialled is associated with a small cost at the farm-scale of up to £5 ha–1, or with cost savings. The results indicate that each of the treatments has the potential to be a cost-effective mitigation option, but that tramline management is the most promising treatment, because tramlines dominate sediment and P transfer in surface runoff from arable hillslopes.
KW - Crops, Agricultural
KW - Environmental Pollutants
KW - Environmental Remediation
KW - Geologic Sediments
KW - Great Britain
KW - Phosphorus
KW - Seasons
KW - Time Factors
U2 - 10.2134/jeq2009.0028
DO - 10.2134/jeq2009.0028
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 19704154
VL - 38
SP - 2121
EP - 2130
JO - Journal of Environmental Quality
JF - Journal of Environmental Quality
SN - 0047-2425
IS - 5
ER -