Abstract
Incidental phosphorus loss is a concern for surface water quality. Here we showed that the risk of incidental P loss can be minimised, even from highly soluble superphosphate fertiliser, by timing application when overland flow is unlikely. Moreover, we demonstrated that the risk of incidental P loss can be estimated from water solubility, decreasing the need for expensive field trials. As such, we suggest that slowly available fertilisers such as reactive phosphate rock or serpentine super could be used in situations where incidental losses need to be decreased and conditions are suitable e.g., soil pH less than 6 and rainfall greater than 800 mm for reactive phosphate rock.
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This work was supported by Ballance Agri-Nutrients Ltd.
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McDowell, R.W., Catto, W. Alternative fertilisers and management to decrease incidental phosphorus loss. Environ Chem Lett 2, 169–174 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10311-005-0099-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10311-005-0099-6