Abstract
The use of drip fertigation to reduce fertilizer pollution of the Danjiangkou Reservoir of China was explored. Specifically, a 4-year experiment was conducted to identify the optimum fertilizer rate for fertigation of a tea plantation. The treatments included five fertigation levels, 10 % (10 % NPK), 20 % (20 % NPK), 30 % (30 % NPK), 40 % (40 % NPK) and 50 % (50 % NPK) of the traditional fertilizer dose, and the traditional fertilizer dose under rain-fed conditions as a control (CK). Relative to CK, fertigation treatments decreased total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP) runoff loss (kg ha−1) and TN and TP concentrations (mg kg−1) in leaching water by 51.9–70.8, 51.7–67.5, 56.1–85.4, and 39.1–56.5 %, respectively. Total N, TP runoff loss and TN concentrations in leaching water generally increased with increasing fertilization rate among fertigation treatments; however, there was no significant difference in TP concentrations of leaching water. Yield increased with increasing rate of fertilization among fertigation treatments. The yields of the 30–50 % NPK treatments were similar (P > 0.05), but higher (P < 0.05) than those of the 10–20 % NPK treatments. There were no significant differences in yield among the 30 % NPK, 40 % NPK and CK treatments. The relative yields increased rapidly when the relative fertilizer rate was between 10 and 33 %; however, this increase slowed at fertilization rates above 33 %. Based on the yield and fertilizer pollution control, fertigation with 33 % of the traditional fertilizer dose should be considered for tea production in the water source area.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Alva AK, Paramasivam S, Graham WD (1998) Impact of nitrogen management practices on nutritional status and yield of Valencia orange trees and groundwater nitrate. J Environ Qual 27:904–910
Aparicio V, Costa JL, Zamora M (2008) Nitrate leaching assessment in a long-term experiment under supplementary irrigation in humid Argentina. Agric Water Manage 95:1361–1372
Arbat G, Roselló A, Olivé FD, Puig-Bargués J, Gonzálea Llinàs E, Duran-Ros M, Pujol J, Ramírea de Cartagena F (2013) Soil water and nitrate distribution under drip irrigated corn receiving pig slurry. Agric Water Manage 120:11–22
Beaulac MN, Reckhow KH (1982) An examination of land use-nutrient export relationships. J Am Water Resour As 18:1013–1024
Bhat R, Sujatha S (2009) Soil fertility and nutrient uptake by arecanut (Areca catechu L.) as affected by level and frequency of fertigation in a laterite soil. Agric Water Manage 96:445–456
Bhat R, Sujatha S, Balasimha D (2007) Impact of drip fertigation on productivity of arecanut (Areca catechu L.). Agric Water Manage 90:101–111
Douglas CL, King KA, Zuzel JF (1998) Nitrogen and phosphorus in surface runoff and sediment from a wheat-pea rotation in northeastern Oregon. J Environ Qual 27:1170–1177
Francia Martínez JR, Durán Zuazo VH, Martínez Raya A (2006) Environment impact from mountainous olive orchards under different soil-management systems (SE Spain). Sci Total Environ 358:46–60
Girmay G, Singh BR, Nyssen J, Borrosen T (2009) Runoff and sediment-associated nutrient losses under different land uses in Tigray, Northern Ethiopia. J Hydrol 376:70–80
Han WY, Li Q (2002) Present situation on the fertilization in tea gardens and the technique of high-efficient fertilization in no-pollution tea gardens. China Tea 24:29–31 (in Chinese)
Han WY, Ma LF, Shi YZ, Ruan JY, Kemmitt SJ (2008) Nitrogen release dynamics and transformation of slow release fertiliser products and their effects on tea yield and quality. J Sci Food Agric 88:839–846
Huang JL, Wang LH (2010) Quantitative analysis and evaluation of the eco-environment situation of the Danjiangkou reservoir area. South North Water Transf Water Sci Technol 8:2–6 (in Chinese)
Li T, Yu LJ, Li MT, Li W (2007) Comparative studies on the qualities of green teas in Karst and non-Karst areas of Yichang, Hubei Province, PR China. Food Chem 103:71–74
Liao XC, Zhang YQ (2008) Economic impacts of shifting sloping farm lands to alternative uses. Agric Syst 97:48–55
Liu KK, Li CH, Pang AP, Shen N, Li Z (2011) Water quality variation and influencing factors analysis in Danjiangkou Reservoir. Resour Environ Yangtze Basin 20:459–467
Liu Y, Tao Y, Wan KY, Zhang GS, Liu DB, Xiong GY, Chen F (2012) Runoff and nutrient losses in citrus orchards on sloping land subjected to different surface mulching practices in the Danjiangkou Reservoir area of China. Agric Water Manage 110:34–40
Madhu M, Sahoo DC, Sharda VN, Sikka AK (2011) Rainwater-use efficiency of tea (Camellia sinensis (L.)) under different conservation measures in the high hills of south India. Appl Geogr 31:450–455
McDowell RW, Sharpley AN (2001) Approximating phosphorus release from soils to surface runoff and subsurface drainage. J Environ Qual 30:508–520
Mohammad MJ (2004) Utilization of applied fertilizer nitrogen and irrigation water by drip-fertigated squash as determined by nuclear and traditional techniques. Nutr Cycl Agroecosyst 68:1–11
Narda NK, Chawla JK (2002) A simple nitrate submodel for trickle fertigated potatoes. Irrig Drain 51:361–371
National Environmental Protection Agency/Editor Board of Water Board of Water and Waste Water Monitoring and Analyzing Methods (2002) Water and waste water monitoring and analyzing methods, 4th edn. China Environmental Science Press, Beijing (in Chinese)
National Soil Survey Office (1992) Soil survey technique in China. Agricultural Press, Beijing (in Chinese)
Neeraja G, Reddy KM, Reddy IP, Reddy YN (1999) Effect of irrigation and nitrogen on growth, yield and yield attributes of rabi onion (Allium cepa L.) in Andhra Pradesh. Veg Sci 26:64–68
Ng Kee Kwong KF, Bholah A, Volcy L, Pynee K (2002) Nitrogen and phosphorus transport by surface runoff from a silty clay loam soil under sugarcane in the humid tropical environment of Mauritius. Agric Ecosyst Environ 91:147–157
Olarewaju OE, Adetunji MT, Adeofun CO, Adekunle IM (2009) Nitrate and phosphorus loss from agricultural land: implications for nonpoint pollution. Nutr Cycl Agroecosyst 85:79–85
Paramasivan S, Alva AK, Fares A, Sajwan KS (2001) Estimation of nitrate leaching in an Entisol under optimum citrus production. Soil Sci Soc Am J 65:914–921
Rajput TBS, Patel N (2006) Water and nitrate movement in drip-irrigated onion under fertigation and irrigation treatments. Agric Water Manage 79:293–311
SEPAC (State Environmental Protection Administration), AQSIQC (Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of China) (2002) Environmental quality standards for surface water of the People’s Republic of China (GB3838-2002) (in Chinese)
Shuman LM (2003) Fertilizer source effects on phosphate and nitrate leaching through simulated golf greens. Environ Pollut 125:413–421
Sims JT, Simard RR, Joern BC (1998) Phosphorus loss in agricultural drainage: historical perspective and current research. J Environ Qual 27:277–293
Tang XQ, Wu M, Yang WJ, Yin W, Jin F, Ye M, Currie N, Scholz M (2012) Ecological strategy for eutrophication control. Water Air Soil Pollut 223:723–737
Udawatta RP, Motavalli PP, Garrett HE (2004) Phosphorus loss and runoff characteristics in three adjacent agricultural watersheds with claypan soils. J Environ Qual 33:1709–1719
Wei SK, Yang H, Abbaspour K, Mousavi J, Gnauck A (2010) Game theory based models to analyze water conflicts in the Middle Route of the South-to-North Water Transfer Project in China. Water Res 44:2499–2516
WPCSWCP (Water Pollution Control & Soil and Water Conservation Program Drafting Group of Danjiangkou Reservoir and Upstream) (2005) Water Pollution Control & Soil and Water Conservation Program of Danjiangkou Reservoir and Upstream, China (in Chinese)
Yang LJ, Zhang YL, Li FS, Lemcoff JH (2011) Soil phosphorus distribution as affected by irrigation methods in plastic film house. Pedosphere 21:712–718
Zhang XC, Norton D, Nearing MA (1997) Chemical transfer from soil solution to surface runoff. Water Resour Res 33:809–815
Zhao WY, Hu JQ (2007) Present status analysis to non-point source pollution in Danjiangkou Reservoir. South North Water Transf Water Sci Technol 5:50–52 (in Chinese)
Zhu JH, Li XL, Christie P, Li JL (2005) Environmental implications of low nitrogen use efficiency in excessively fertilized hot pepper (Capsicum frutescens L.) cropping systems. Agric Ecosyst Environ 111:70–80
Acknowledgments
This study was supported by the project of the Research Center for Policy and Technology, Office of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project Commission of the State Council, and the Important Orientation of Knowledge Innovation Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant No. KZCX2-YW-359).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Liu, R., Kang, Y., Zhang, C. et al. Chemical fertilizer pollution control using drip fertigation for conservation of water quality in Danjiangkou Reservoir. Nutr Cycl Agroecosyst 98, 295–307 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10705-014-9612-2
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10705-014-9612-2