Decline in soil phosphorus (P) concentrations is slow,
and environmentally significant concentrations of P
can be lost to water long after fertiliser application
is decreased. One potential method to accelerate the
decline in soil P concentrations is to increase plant
uptake by applying nitrogen (N). A one-year lysimeter
trial investigated P losses to leachate on three soil types
receiving three rates of N fertiliser (0, 150 and 300
kg N/ha/yr) and zero or half maintenance P fertiliser,
with regular cutting and removal of pasture. Increasing
N input increased annual pasture yield and decreased
DRP loss in leachate compared to the zero N treatment,
without increasing nitrate or ammonium loss.
Furthermore, treatments receiving half maintenance P at
all N rates had lower P losses than the zero N and zero P
treatment. Based on a cut and carry system, increasing
N fertiliser in conjunction with decreasing P fertiliser
has potential as a mitigation strategy to decrease P loss
without compromising yields or increasing N leaching.[Show full abstract]
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