Critical drainage and nitrate leaching losses from manures applied to freely draining soils in Great Britain

• Published in: Soil use and management Vol. 19; no. 4; pp. 312 - 320
• Main Authors: Smith, K.A., Anthony, S.G., Henderson, D., Jackson, D.R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wallingford CAB International 01.12.2003
• Subjects: Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Animal productions; Biological and medical sciences; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General agronomy. Plant production; Other nutrients. Amendments. Solid and liquid wastes. Sludges and slurries; Soil and water pollution; Soil science; Soil-plant relationships. Soil fertility. Fertilization. Amendments; Terrestrial animal productions; Vertebrates; United Kingdom; Great Britain; Europe; British Isles; British Isles, England, Nottinghamshire; Poultry manure; Cultivated soil; Animal slurry; Subsurface drainage; Nitrogen compounds; Organic fertilization; Nitrates; POLLUTION BY AGRICULTURE; Organic fertilizer; Field experiment; MANNER; Cattle manure; Sandy loam soil; Underground leaching; Cattle slurry; Application time; nitrate leaching; Farmyard manure; Pig manure; Pollutant; Soils; Water pollution control; nitrification; Water pollution; drainage
• ISSN: 0266-0032; 1475-2743
• DOI: 10.1079/SUM2003219

Nitrogen (N) nitrate leaching from freely draining soils amended with pig manure was studied under controlled conditions at a sandy loam field site in Nottinghamshire, U.K. Slurry was applied by open-slot injection. Drainage was adjusted by rainfall exclusion covers or irrigation. N leaching from slurry over a range of drainage values was found to exhibit a quadratic or exponential function curve. Simulations of slurry leaching using the MANNER decision support system did not agree well with observed values, predicting earlier and greater amounts of nitrate leaching. The poor fit may be due to ammonia emissions following slurry injection, soil moisture capacity, and a time delay for slurry N nitrification. When these factors were taken into account, observed and modeled results gave better agreement. When applied to drainage conditions beyond those tested in the field, model simulations continued to show a sigmoidal relationship between nitrate leaching and drainage. Simulations for various types of manure, application times, and climate conditions can indicate the best strategies for manure application.