148-2 Evaluation of Nutrient Leaching From Simulated Residential Mixed Landscapes.



Monday, October 17, 2011: 1:20 PM
Henry Gonzalez Convention Center, Room 214B, Concourse Level

Zhixuan Qin1, Amy Shober2 and Vimala Nair1, (1)University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
(2)14625 CR 672, University of Florida - Agricultural Research Center, Wimauma, FL
In recent years, nutrient leaching from residential landscapes in Florida has been suggested as a cause of water quality degradation due to the heavy use of fertilizers and irrigation in these systems. The objective of this study was to determine nutrient leaching losses from mixed landscapes that were planted with varying proportions of turf grass and woody ornamental plants (sweet viburnum and magnolia). We hypothesize that the landscapes with a higher proportion of established woody ornamental species will have less leachate and nutrient losses than landscapes with higher proportion of turf. Mixed landscapes consisting of 60, 75, or 90% St. Augustine turfgrass were installed in 9 drainage lysimeters in a completely randomized design at the University of Florida/IFAS (UF/IFAS) Mid Florida Research Center in Apopka, FL. Landscapes were fertilized and irrigated based on UF/IFAS recommendations. Plants were allowed to establish in the lysimeters for a period of one year, at which time daily leachate samples were collected for a period of 18 months. Daily leachate samples were combined to produce weekly flow-weighted samples. Leachate samples were stored at 0ºC until analysis for N (e.g., NO3+NO2, NH4, total Kjeldahl N) and P (e.g., reactive P and total P). Flow-weighted concentrations and loads of N and P will be calculated to determine the effects of vegetative cover on nutrient leaching.
See more from this Division: S08 Nutrient Management & Soil & Plant Analysis
See more from this Session: S4/S8 Graduate Student Oral Competition-Management Practices for Minimizing Nutrient Losses and Amending Soils with Organic Materials and by-Products