Phosphorus Distribution with Depth Across Three Land Managements Under Dairy Waste Effluent Application.

Phosphorus is an essential nutrient required for life. Livestock waste containing P is added to agricultural soils as a disposal method or as fertilizer. This is a concern due to negative water quality impacts (surface water eutrophication) from P-rich agricultural runoff. Different tillage methods may impact incorporation of P applied to the soil surface. Investigating how applied P behaves in the soil help land managers maximize P use efficiency, minimize loss, and conserve P resources. This study looked at the vertical distribution of P in soil profiles in Paleustalfs in a dairy effluent application field. Samples were collected from six pits, each with different land management histories. Soil P was extracted using the Mehlich-III extraction method and results were quantified using ICP emission spectroscopy. Soil profiles showed a decrease in P with soil depth and P distribution with depth seemed to be impacted by land management.