John L. Kovar

Livestock grazing and vegetative filter strip buffer effects on runoff sediment, nitrate, and phosphorus losses

Livestock grazing in the Midwestern United States can result in significant levels of runoff sediment and nutrient losses to surface water resources. Some of these contaminants can increase stream eutrophication and are suspected of contributing to hypoxic conditions in the Gulf of Mexico. This research quantified effects of livestock grazing management practices and vegetative filter strip buffers on runoff depth and mass losses of total solids, nitrate-nitrogen (NO3-N), and ortho-phosphorus (PO4-P) under natural hydrologic conditions. Runoff data were collected from 12 rainfall events during 2001 to 2003 at an Iowa State University research farm in central Iowa, United States. Three vegetative buffers (paddock area:vegetative buffer area ratios of 1:0.2, 1:0.1, and 1:0 no buffer [control]) and three grazing management practices (continuous, rotational, and no grazing [control]) comprised nine treatment combinations (vegetative buffer ratio/grazing management practice) replicated in three 1.35 ha (3.34 ac) plot areas. The total 4.05 ha (10.02 ac) study area also included nine 0.4 ha (1.0 ac) paddocks and 27 vegetative buffer runoff collection units distributed in a randomized complete block design. The study site was established on uneven terrain with a maximum of 15% slopes and consisted of approximately 100% cool-season smooth bromegrass. Average paddock and vegetative buffer plant tiller densities estimated during the 2003 project season were approximately 62 million and 93 million tillers ha−1 (153 million and 230 million tillers ac−1), respectively. Runoff sample collection pipe leakage discovered and corrected during 2001 possibly reduced runoff depth and affected runoff contaminant mass losses data values. Consequently, 2001 runoff analysis results were limited to treatment comparisons within the 2001 season and were not compared with 2002 and 2003 data. Analysis results from 2001 showed no significant differences in average losses of runoff, total solids, NO3-N, and PO4-P among the nine vegetative buffer/grazing practice treatment combinations. Results from 2002 indicated significantly higher losses of runoff and total solids from 1:0 no buffer/rotational grazing and 1:0 no buffer/continuous grazing treatment combination plots, respectively, compared among other 2002 season treatment combinations. The 2003 results showed significantly higher runoff and total solids losses from 1:0 no buffer/no grazing treatment combination plots compared among all 2003 treatment combinations and from 1:0.1 vegetative buffer/no grazing treatment combination plots compared among all 2003 treatment combinations and with respective 2002 treatment combinations. However, the 2003 results indicated effective vegetative buffer performance with significantly lower runoff, total solids, and NO3-N losses from the larger 1:0.2 buffer area compared among the smaller 1:0.1 buffer area and 1:0 no buffer treatment combinations. The 2003 results also indicated a highly significant increase in losses of NO3-N from 1:0.1 buffer/no grazing treatment combination plots compared among other 2003 season treatment combinations and with respective 2002 treatment combinations. Overall results from this study suggest a shift from significantly higher 2002 season plot losses of continuous and rotational grazing treatment combinations to significantly higher 2003 season losses of no grazing treatment combinations. We speculate this shift to significantly higher runoff and contaminant losses from no grazing treatment combination plots during 2003 reflects the variability inherent to a complex and dynamic soil-water environment of livestock grazing areas. However, we also hypothesize the environmental conditions that largely consisted of a dense perennial cool-season grass type, high-relief landscape, and relatively high total rainfall depth may not necessarily include livestock grazing activities.

Phosphorus Availability to Corn and Soybean Evaluated by Three Soil-Test Methods for Southern Brazilian Soils

To select and evaluate the effectiveness of multi-element soil-test methods for extracting plant-available phosphorus (P), correlation studies are needed. Under natural conditions, corn (Zea mays L.) and soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] were sequentially cultivated in 9-L microplots for 45 days to determine the amount of P that would be absorbed from 49 diverse soils of Rio Grande do Sul State in southern Brazil. Before planting, soil P was extracted with Mehlich 1 solution, Mehlich 3 solution, and ion- exchange resin. The abilities of Mehlich 1, Mehlich 3, and resin to extract plant-available P were then compared. The coefficients of determination obtained between plant P and the amounts extracted by Mehlich 1, Mehlich 3, and resin were 0.59, 0.45, and 0.59, respectively, for corn and 0.57, 0.57, and 0.52 for soybean. Soil P extracted by the three methods was highly correlated; however, the amount of P extracted by the methods was affected by the clay content of the soils. As the clay content increased, the amount of P extracted by the resin also increased, whereas P extracted by the Mehlich 3 solution decreased. Because soil clay content influences extractable P values, soil clay classes are needed to properly calibrate soil P status and fertilizer recommendations for corn and soybean grown on these soils.

Comparison of the Phosphorus Sorption Characteristics of a Conservation Reserve Buffer and an Adjacent Crop Field

The U.S. Department of Agricultures Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) was established by the Food Security Act of 1985. Since its inception, thousands of acres of cropland in stream riparian zones have been converted to conservation buffers through the planting of trees and native grasses. The objectives of this study were to determine the phosphorus (P)–sorption characteristics of the surface soil in a 13‐year‐old CRP buffer and an adjacent continuously cropped production area from which the buffer was created and to assess differences in P‐sorption maxima and P‐buffering capacity between the sites. Phosphorus sorption was modeled with both the simple Langmuir and the two‐surface Langmuir equations. There were significant differences in all P‐sorption parameters between the cropped area and the buffer over most of the depth increments studied. The cropped area soil had higher sorption max (Smax), binding energy (k), and P equilibrium buffering capacity (PEBC) than the buffer soil. However, the buffer had higher equilibrium P concentration (EPC). These findings imply that it may not be appropriate to assume that a buffer will act as a P sink simply because it is not receiving P fertilization. Any assessment of buffer or filter strip effectiveness for P retention should include an examination of the P‐sorption properties of the soils present.

Comparison of Organic and Inorganic Phosphorus Fractions in an Established Buffer and Adjacent Production Field

Abstract Since the U.S. Department of Agricultures Conservation Reserve Program was established in 1985, thousands of acres of cropland have been converted to conservation buffers. The distributions of soil phosphorus (P) in various organic and inorganic fractions in a buffer and an adjacent crop production field were compared. Most of the extractable inorganic P (32 to 39%) in both the crop field and the buffer was present in the calcium (Ca)‐P fraction. Levels of the most labile P fractions were higher in the cropped area; however, more P was in the iron (Fe)‐P fraction in the buffer (23 vs. 18%). There were few differences among organic P fractions between the buffer and crop field. Soil sampling depth had a significant effect on the distribution of P. Differences between the cropped area and the buffer were less significant as depth increased. These results suggest that care should be taken in choosing sampling depths when relating P fraction distribution to potential P loss.