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Plot layout of the experiment on tillage and nutrient source effect on water quality of surface runoff and subsurface tile flow at the Southwest Research and Outreach Center, Lamberton, MN.
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This study quantified the effects of tillage (moldboard plowing [MP], ridge tillage [RT]) and nutrient source (manure and commercial fertilizer [urea and triple superphosphate]) on sediment, NH4+ -N, NO3- -N, total P, particulate P, and soluble P losses in surface runoff and subsurface tile drainage from a clay loam soil. Treatment effects were eva...
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... Center at Lamberton, MN. The details there was no provision for subsurface drainage in most of the experimental setup, plot layout, and cultural practices of these studies. Extensive literature ( Gast et al., 1978; are given in Zhao (1998). Briefly, the plots were 9.9 m wide Baker and Johnson, 1981;Kanwar et al., 1988; Kladivko and 18.2 m long (Fig. 1). Each plot was isolated to a depth et al., 1991;Logan et al., 1993; Randall and Iragavarapu, of 1.8 m by trenching around plot borders and installing a 0.3-1995) also exists on commercial fertilizer effect on submm plastic sheet. Two perforated plastic tile drains, 10 cm in diameter, were installed at 1 m depth and 1.5 m away from ...
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... Eventhough Hashim et al. (2019) suggested that shallow groundwater table generated higher N and other base cations subsurface leaching, the study site had mature OP and hydrologically managed, as well as periodic shallow water table during the rainy season (Pulunggono et al. 2023f). We argued that these conditions might allow the fertilizer-derived mobile N fractions to be transported downward near GWL (Rückauf et al. 2004;Zhao 2001), and more homogeneous aeration throughout the upper 60-70 cm generates a higher decomposition at the lower profile. Glendining et al. (2010) conducted a study that revealed the necessity for improving PtF predictors in accurately estimating total nitrogen (N) content in soils with more than 10% soil organic carbon (SOC). ...
Currently, there is a growing interest among research communities in the development of statistical learning-based pedotransfer functions/PtFs to predict mineral soil nutrients; however, similar studies in peatlands are relatively rare. Moreover, extracting meaningful information from these ‘black-box’ models is crucial, particularly concerning their algorithmic complexity and the non-linear nature of the soil covariate interrelationships. This study employed the Pulunggono (2022a) dataset and the bootstrapping method, to (1) develop and evaluate seven PtF models, including both general linear models (GLM) and machine learning (ML) regressors for estimating total nitrogen (N) in tropical peat that has been drained and cultivated for oil palm (OP) in Riau, Indonesia and (2) explaining model functioning by incorporating Shapley Additive Explanation (SHAP), a tool derived from coalitional game theory. This study demonstrated the superior predictive performance of ML-based PtFs in estimating total N compared to GLM algorithms. The top-performing algorithms for PtF models were identified as GBM, XGB, and Cubist. The SHAP method revealed that sampling depth and organic C were consistently identified as the most important covariates across all models, irrespective of their algorithmic capabilities. Additionally, ML algorithms identified the total Fe, pH, and bulk density (BD) as significant covariates. Local explanations based on Shapley values indicated that the behavior of PtF-based algorithms diverged from their global explanations. This study emphasized the critical role of ML algorithms and game theory in accurately predicting total N in peatlands subjected to drainage and cultivation for OP and explaining their model behavior in relation to soil biogeochemical processes.
... However, soil health practices can have trade-offs that counteract their benefits (Duncan et al., 2019). Conservation tillage and no-till can promote soil P stratification and formation preferential flow pathways in surface soils; both can increase dissolved P (DP) losses (Jarvie et al., 2017;Pease et al., 2018;Zhao et al., 2001). Freezing and thawing of cover crop residue can also increase DP loads (Duncan et al., 2019;Messiga et al., 2010). ...
Soil health practices can improve soil conditions and provide ecosystem services, but increased risk of phosphorus (P) loss can be an unintended consequence. We investigated conservation tillage and cover crops effects on soil P stratification, P accumulation at depth, and soil aggregation for sandy Coastal Plain soils from the Mid‐Atlantic United States soil cores from 10 agricultural fields with 0–15 years of conservation tillage or cover cropping were analyzed for Mehlich‐3 P and dry aggregate stability. We found no evidence that conservation tillage or cover cropping caused P stratification or accumulation in study fields that were already enriched with P prior to soil health implementation. Annual particulate, dissolved runoff, and leachate P loads decreased when estimated using the North Carolina Phosphorus Loss Assessment Tool assuming no‐till and cover crops (soil health) compared to conventional till and winter fallow (conventional). We suggest that soil health practices are unlikely to exacerbate P losses from high P Coastal Plain soils beyond their initial risk profile.
... Due to its flexible framework, SWAT is widely used (Lam et al., 2011;Lamba et al., 2016;Mtibaa et al., 2018;Sharpley et al., 2006;Strauch et al., 2013) to evaluate the effect of land management and agricultural practices on water quality (Liu et al., 2013). Zhao et al. (2001), Tuppad et al. (2010), and Salm and Chardon (2007) applied SWAT model in watersheds of varying sizes and characteristics in different geographical locations and reported a reduction in sediment and phosphorus loads after agricultural management practices including conservation tillage, contour farming, and fertilizer management had been implemented. Lam et al. (2011) reported a 9 to 20% decrease in annual nitrate load in a lowland catchment in Germany after implementation of best management practices. ...
... A Wilcoxon pairwise test showed that the annual runoff generated after implementing each of the SLM practices was not statistically different from the calibrated model. Zhao et al. (2001) also reported that tillage had no significant impact on surface tillage in a study conducted in drainage plots in Minnesota River Basin. ...
Managing agricultural watersheds in an environmentally friendly manner necessitate the strategic implementation of well-targeted sustainable land management (SLM) practices that limit soil and nonpoint source pollution losses and translocation. Watershed-scale SLM-scenario modeling has the potential to identify efficient and effective management strategies from the field to the integrated landscape level. In a case study targeting a 66-hectare watershed in Petzenkirchen, Lower Austria, the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was utilized to evaluate a variety of locally adoptable SLM practices. SWAT was calibrated and validated (monthly) at the catchment outlet for flow, sediment, nitrate-nitrogen (NO3–N), ammonium nitrogen (NH4–N), and mineralized phosphorus (PO4–P) using SWATplusR. Considering the locally existing agricultural practices and socioeconomic and environmental factors of the research area, four conservation practices were evaluated: baseline scenario, contour farming (CF), winter cover crops (CC), and a combination of no-till and cover crops (NT + CC). The NT + CC SLM practice was found to be the most effective soil conservation practice in reducing soil loss by around 80%, whereas CF obtained the best results for decreasing the nutrient loads of NO3–N and PO4–P by 11% and 35%, respectively. The findings of this study imply that the setup SWAT model can serve the context-specific performance assessment and eventual promotion of SLM interventions that mitigate on-site land degradation and the consequential off-site environmental pollution resulting from agricultural nonpoint sources.
... Not only the amount, but the seasonal timing of fertilizer application in uplands can greatly affect the amount of fertilizer that is able to nitrify and leach into downstream waters (Randall and Mulla 2001). Upland conservation tillage practices are also successful methods of soil and sediment erosion reduction (Johnson et al. 1979;Ginting et al. 1998;Zhao et al. 2001). According to the latest Conservation Effects Assessment Project report, many farmers in the US have recently adopted advanced technology and in-field conservation practices to control erosion and trap sediment. ...
Nutrient pollution causing harmful algal blooms and eutrophication is a major threat to aquatic systems. Throughout North America, agricultural activities are the largest source of excess nutrients entering these systems. Agricultural intensification has also been a driver in the historical removal of depressional wetlands, contributing to increased hydrological connectivity across watersheds, and moving more nutrient runoff into terminal waterbodies such as the Laurentian Great Lakes and Gulf of Mexico. The Prairie Pothole Region of North America (PPR) supports grassland, cropland, wetland, and riverine systems that connect to the Missouri, Mississippi, and Red River Basins. There is a need to synthesize scientific understanding to guide more targeted conservation efforts and better understand knowledge gaps. We reviewed 200 empirical studies and synthesized results from across a minimum of 9 and maximum of 43 wetland basins (depending on the variable data available). We found an average wetland removal rate of nitrate and phosphate of 53% and 68%, respectively. Literature also showed sedimentation rates to be twice as high in wetland basins situated within croplands compared to grasslands. Our synthesis enhances understanding of nutrient processing in wetlands of the PPR and highlights the need for more empirical field-based studies throughout the region.
... Minimum tillage practices increase soil aggregation and the formation of stabilized organic N within microaggregates [42], preventing N leaching by runoff and infiltrated waters. Moldboard plowing, on the contrary, enhances soil drying and warming, disrupts soil aggregates, increases oxygen diffusion, exposes physically protected organic N to microbial attack resulting in faster turnover rates [43,44]. ...
For the first time in research literature, this report presents the seasonal changes of total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN), and TOC:TN ratio in Chernozem solum (0–100 cm) as effected by 14 years of application of conventional tillage (CTu), deep reduced tillage (DRTu), and reduced tillage (RTu) under barley growing. During the season, TOC content drastically declined in the spring, increased in the summer, decreased in the middle of August, and recovered in October. TN content was gradually decreased during a crop growing season and renewed in the autumn. A trend of TOC:TN changes (vertical peak curve) in 0–30 cm soil layer varied from TOC (S-shaped curve) and TN (unsymmetrical decayed curve). The amplitude of seasonal TOC and TN changes in deeper layers was far fewer related to the upper horizons. The highest amplitude in 0–30, 30–60 and 60–100 cm layers was under: DRTu, CTu, DRTu—for TOC and DRTu, CTu, RTu—for TN correspondently. Tillage practices differently stratified the content of organic carbon and nitrogen in Chernozem profile. Minimum tillage benefited TOC sequestration in 0–5 and 5–10 cm layers: 24.83 ± 0.64- and 24.65 ± 0.57 g kg−1—under RTu, 24.49 ± 0.62- and 24.71 ± 0.47 g kg−1—under DRTu, while CT—deeper than 20 cm: 22.49–15.03 g kg−1. The vertical distribution of TN content repeated TOC trend. TOC:TN ratio upraised from 12.60 in 0–5 to 14.33 in 80–100 cm layer and was the highest in summertime. A total (0–100 cm) profile was much greater under RTu and DRTu—for TN, and CTu, DRTu—for TOC. The correlation coefficient (r) was almost negligible between TOC and: T (air temperature), P (precipitation) and W (soil moisture). The strong and very strong r was found for TN—W, and P—W pairs. The negative r was between: TOC–P, TN–P, TOC:TN-W, TOC:TN–T and P–W pairs.
... The effects of labile P changes (supply) outweighed changes in the magnitude of surface runoff or tile drainage (hydrologic) flow volume, which dominated in DRP loss, were the main reason under the combined manure broadcast and tillage practices. For example, moldboard plow significantly reducing DRP loss through surface runoff was similar to the findings of Zhao et al. (2001) and Ginting et al. (1998). The main reason was that a higher tillage mixing efficiency increased labile P content in the 0.15 m soil layer by as much as 27% (e.g., moldboard plow, Fig. 3B), rather than leaving labile P on the surface of soil as occurred under broadcast application of manure. ...
Phosphorus (P) losses from non-point sources into receiving water bodies play a significant role in eutrophication. Given their failure to adequately control eutrophication in the Lake Erie, conservation recommendations for agricultural water-sheds should be reconsidered, particularly under climate change. Using the Environmental Policy
15 Integrated Climate model, the potential impacts on crop yield, surface runoff, tile drainage, and relevant dissolved reactive phosphorus (DRP) losses from manure-amended corn-soybean rotation plots in the Lake Erie basin were estimated for six tillage methods with different mixing efficiencies and manure broadcast application. These were investigated under twelve different regional and global future climate simula-tions. Tillage alone proved to have only a minor impact on mean corn yield (± 2%). Climate change led to large uncertainties under the single tillage treatment. As a result of the combined effects of biogeochemical processes (e.g., supply) and hydrological (e.g., transport), strong negative relationships (R 29 2 = 0.98) were found between tillage mixing effi-
ciency and DRP loss in surface runoff, tile drainage and total DRP loss. The impacts of combined manure application (broadcast) and tillage on crop yield and flow volume were similar as those of tillage alone. With respect to total DRP losses, the effects of labile P
content change outweighed those of surface runoff or tile drainage change (hydrologic). This resulted in a change in total DRP losses ranging from - 60% to +151%, with being closely correlated with decreasing tillage mixing efficiency (R 39 2 = 0.94) from
moldboard to no-till. Therefore, rotational tillage should be considered for DRP loss reduction and energy saving.
... It has been widely promoted as an effective way to combat P runoff by trapping P in soils on farm fields. Despite its widespread application in the US, the benefits of conservation tillage are debated with regard to its effects on crop yields and efficiency in controlling P runoff [26,28,29]. Conservation tillage likely reduces soil erosion, and hence reduces sediment-attached P loss from agricultural fields [30]. ...
... Conservation tillage likely reduces soil erosion, and hence reduces sediment-attached P loss from agricultural fields [30]. There is mounting evidence, however, showing that conservation tillage increases the export of total soluble phosphorus [28,31]. Since soluble P is almost 100% bioavailable [32,33], the effect of controlling P export by conservation tillage could be offset by soluble P loss [34,35]. ...
Phosphorus (P) is an essential nutrient to boost crop yields, but P runoff can cause nutrient over-enrichment in agricultural watersheds and can lead to irreversible effects on aquatic ecosystems and their biodiversity. Lake Erie is one prominent example as this watershed has experienced multiple episodes of harmful algal blooms over the last decades. Annual P loads crucially depend on yearly weather variations, which can create the risk of years with high runoff and excessive nutrient loads. Here we apply stochastic modeling to derive sustainable management strategies that balance crop yield optimization with environmental protection, while accounting for weather variability as well as weather trends as a result of climate change. We demonstrate that ignoring annual weather variations results in mitigation efforts for environmental pollution that are largely insufficient. Accounting explicitly for future variations in precipitation allows us to control the risk of emissions exceeding the P target loads. When realistic risk targets are imposed, we find that a package of additional measures is required to avoid P over-enrichment in the Lake Erie watershed. This package consists of a substantial reduction of P inputs (approximately 30% for different accepted risk levels), adoption of cover crops throughout the near- and mid-century, and cultivation of less nutrient-intensive crops (30% more soy at the expense of corn). Although climate change reinforces these conclusions, we find that the accepted risk level of exceeding P target loads is the predominant factor in defining a sustainable nutrient management policy.
... Appropriate tillage management can also show substantial environmental benefits, for example, through affecting the transport of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) in runoff and groundwater (Bosch et al., 2005;DeLaune & Sij, 2012;Djodjic et al., 2002;King et al., 2015;Schelde et al., 2006). Compared to conventional tillage, conservation tillage practices help reduce the transport of particulate N (PN) and P (PP) in sediment and organic material of surface runoff (Endale et al., 2010;Gaynor & Findlay, 1995;Tiessen et al., 2010;Zhao et al., 2001), while conservation tillage may be associated with greater dissolved N [nitrate-N (NO 3 -N)] and P (DP) levels (Daryanto et al., 2017;Kleinman et al., 2009;Smith & Cassel, 1991). In addition, tillage operations may affect the transport of bioavailable P (BAP) in surface runoff (Mueller et al., 1984). ...
This study evaluates the economic impacts of conventional tillage (moldboard plow or sweeps) and no-till on winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) production and water quality. A Monte Carlo simulation was employed to generate a well-validated random series of wheat yields based on a 12-year field experiment in three watersheds of the Southern High Plains. We estimated net returns of winter wheat production and examined the risk-adjusted profits under three tillage methods based on the stochastic efficiency with respect to a function approach. The environmental benefits were quantified based on the concentrations and amounts of sediment, nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) in surface runoff and associated nutrient levels in groundwater. Our results show that compared with moldboard plowing, no-till reduces the operating expenses by $76 ha⁻¹. Sweeps tillage has the highest probability of obtaining a net return greater than $220 ha⁻¹. Without considering the water quality benefits, sweeps tillage is consistently the most preferred practice regardless of producers’ risk attitude. After combining with the economic benefits of water quality improvement, no-till may be equally preferred for very and extremely risk-averse producers, and higher nutrient prices better justify the economic advantage of no-till for even moderately risk-averse producers.
... Nitrogen leaching losses are mostly in the forms of NH 4 + and NO 3 and the latter is a negative charge ion that cannot be bound to the functional groups in peat soil, thus rendering it susceptible to leaching as reported by Ruckauf et al., (2004). Owens et al. (2000) and Zhao et al., (2001) reported that N can also leach out as surface or subsurface flow. The decrease in concentration under low water table depths could be a result of subsurface flow and sometimes due to the reduction of N through denitrification as previously reported by Spalding and Parrot (1994) and Mohammed et al. (2003). ...
... However, during precipitation events, particulate species adsorbed to sediment increased substantially, leading to high concentrations of P, ammonium NH 4 , and organic N, illustrating the immediate impact of surface inlets. Zhao, Gupta, Huggins, and Moncrief (2001) reported that surface inlets were the primary transport mechanism for total P, soluble P, and NH 4 , with traditional tile drainage being most responsible for NO 3 transport in a Minnesota study. ...
Surface inlets route ponded surface water into subsurface drainage networks and are prevalent throughout North America. Despite serving as a nutrient loss pathway, contributing to downstream water quality degradation, surface inlets are thought to be underreported in drainage studies within the literature. Previous studies have demonstrated the footprint that surface inlets have on nutrient transport and drainage effluent but are site specific and focused on individual events. Moreover, although their ubiquitous presence is assumed, no regional surface inlet database exists. To this end, a structured review was undertaken with two goals. First, the MANAGE Drain Load database, consisting of nearly 1,500 site‐years of drainage and nutrient data, was analyzed to determine distinctions between areas with and without surface inlets. The median annual total phosphorus (TP) load was greater at site‐years with surface inlets (0.40 kg ha⁻¹) than site‐years without (0.21 kg ha⁻¹). The opposite emerged for dissolved nitrogen (DN) loads as site‐years with surface inlet had a smaller median annual load (3.3 kg ha⁻¹) than site‐years without (23.0 kg ha⁻¹). This relationship is attributed to immobile TP being transported primarily through overland flow and routed to subsurface drains via surface inlets and to relatively more mobile DN being subsurface driven, bypassed in settings with surface inlets. No statistical differences were found in annual drainage or ratios of particulate P to TP between site‐years with and without surface inlets. Second, a logistic regression model was developed that predicts the presence of surface inlets within MANAGE. Eighteen percent of site‐years and 21% of sites were predicted to have surface inlets.
