Nutrient supply to soil and surface water from deposition of wind-erodible-sized soil aggregates.

Godlinski, F., Hao, X., Chang, C., and Lindeman, J. (2008). "Nutrient supply to soil and surface water from deposition of wind-erodible-sized soil aggregates.", Soil Science, 173(3), pp. 214-222. doi : 10.1097/SS.0b013e3181602abc

Abstract

In regions subject to strong winds, considerable amounts of soil are transported off land and deposited to nearby fields and surface water. This study investigated the nutrient supply from deposition of erodible-sized soil to surrounding soil and surface water in a controlled laboratory setting. Wind-erodible fraction (WEF) aggregates were collected from a field with no manure or fertilizer application (Treatment WEF0) and a field that had received 180 Mg ha^-1 year^-1 of cattle manure (WEF180) for 30 years. The WEF aggregates were applied to a loamy sand soil and to distilled water at rates equivalent to 0, 10, 50, 100, and 150 Mg ha^-1 and incubated for 2 years. Deposition of carbon and nutrient-enriched WEF aggregates increased the receiving soil's total carbon, nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) concentrations. The initially soil available N increased with WEF deposition rate, up to almost four times of the original value and by an additional 5 to 7 times after 2 years of incubation. Soil test P also increased with WEF deposition rates immediately after WEF application, but decreased over time as P immobilized to a less available form. After WEF was deposited to water, the initially soluble N and P increased up to 94 and 32 times, respectively, and did not reach a plateau in 2 years. Thus, the impact of WEF deposition on soil and water is long lasting and should be considered when developing farm management strategies or assessing environmental impacts of agricultural practices.