Trends in nutrient concentrations in drainage water from single fields under ordinary cultivation

• Published in: Agriculture, ecosystems & environment Vol. 151; pp. 61 - 69
• Main Authors: Ulén, Barbro, von Brömssen, Claudia, Johansson, Göran, Torstensson, Gunnar, Forsberg, Lovisa Stjernman
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier B.V 01.04.2012; Elsevier
• Subjects: Agricultural and forest climatology and meteorology. Irrigation. Drainage; Agricultural management; Agricultural Science; Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; arable soils; Biological and medical sciences; catch crops; Dissolved reactive phosphorus (DRP); drainage water; Environmental Sciences related to Agriculture and Land-use; fallow; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General agroecology; General agroecology. Agricultural and farming systems. Agricultural development. Rural area planning. Landscaping; General agronomy. Plant production; Generalities. Agricultural and farming systems. Agricultural development; Irrigation. Drainage; Jordbruksvetenskap; Miljö- och naturvårdsvetenskap; monitoring; nitrate nitrogen; Nitrate–nitrogen (NO3–N); nitrogen; nutrient content; nutrients; phosphorus; potatoes; sorption; spring; subsidies; sugar beet; Tile drain water; tillage; topsoil; Agricultural management; Nitrate–nitrogen (NO3–N); Dissolved reactive phosphorus (DRP); Tile drain water; Phosphates; Ecology; Nitrates; Nitrogen; N; Drainage; Nutrient; Agriculture; Chemical concentration; Culture; Drainage water; Nitrate-nitrogen (NO
• ISSN: 0167-8809; 1873-2305; 1873-2305
• DOI: 10.1016/j.agee.2012.02.005

► Decreasing trends in NO3–N were found in drainage water from 2 fields out of 13. ► Catch cropping and delayed tillage, were possible parts of the explanations. ► Decreasing trend of DRP was observed from two fields with an interior buffer. ► Accelerating P loads was followed by increasing DRP level from one field. ► Long-term monitoring of nutrients leaving agricultural fields is important. In 1988–2009, efforts involving manure regulations, subsidies and advisory work were made to reduce losses of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) from arable land to water in Sweden, especially southern Sweden. To evaluate ensuing long-term trends, nutrients in total and dissolved form were monitored in drainage water from 13 fields under ordinary cultivation. The Mann-Kendall test, adjusted for biweekly sampling, revealed significant decreasing trends (magnitude 3% per year) in nitrate–nitrogen (NO3–N) concentrations in two fields. One of these had received no manure and had been subjected to delayed tillage after fallow since 1993, while the other had been frequently cropped with a catch crop combined with spring tillage since 1999. An additional decreasing trend in dissolved reactive P (DRP) was observed over the years from this and another field, both with unfertilised fallow grown as an interior buffer on an area at the field outlet, one in 1999–2010 and the other since 2001. By contrast, there was an increasing trend in DRP in a field with accelerating P loads that included almost yearly manure additions to crops following potatoes and sugar beet. However, the general DRP level in the drainage water was low (4–13μgL−1), probably as a result of high P sorption capacity of the topsoil and subsoil. No significant trends in total P or particulate P were found for any of the fields. The importance of long-term monitoring of nutrients in water leaving agricultural fields in order to estimate trends in nutrient losses is discussed.