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Welikhe P, Williams MR, King K, Bos J, Akland M, Baffaut C, Beck EG, Bierer A, Bosch DD, Brooks ES, Buda AR, Cavigelli M, Faulkner J, Feyereisen GW, Fortuna A, Gamble J, Hanrahan BR, Hussain MZ, Kovar JL, Lee B, Leytem AB, Liebig MA, Line D, Macrae ML, Moorman TB, Moriasi D, Mumbi R, Nelson N, Ortega-Pieck A, Osmond D, Penn C, Pisani O, Reba ML, Smith DR, Unrine J, Webb P, White KE, Wilson H, Witthaus LM. Uncertainty in phosphorus fluxes and budgets across the U.S. long-term agroecosystem research network. J Environ Qual 2023. [PMID: 37145888 DOI: 10.1002/jeq2.20485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Revised: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 04/21/2023] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Phosphorus (P) budgets can be useful tools for understanding nutrient cycling and quantifying the effectiveness of nutrient management planning and policies; however, uncertainties in agricultural nutrient budgets are not often quantitatively assessed. The objective of this study was to evaluate uncertainty in P fluxes (fertilizer/manure application, atmospheric deposition, irrigation, crop removal, surface runoff, leachate) and the propagation of these uncertainties to annual P budgets. Data from 56 cropping systems in the P-FLUX database, which spans diverse rotations and landscapes across the U.S. and Canada, were evaluated. Results showed that across cropping systems, average annual P budget was 22.4 kg P ha-1 (range = -32.7 to 340.6 kg P ha-1 ), with an average uncertainty of 13.1 kg P ha-1 (range = 1.0 to 87.1 kg P ha-1 ). Fertilizer/manure application and crop removal were the largest P fluxes across cropping systems and, as a result, accounted for the largest fraction of uncertainty in annual budgets (61 and 37%, respectively). Remaining fluxes individually accounted for <2% of the budget uncertainty. Uncertainties were large enough that determining whether P was increasing, decreasing, or not changing was inconclusive in 39% of the budgets evaluated. Findings indicate that more careful and/or direct measurements of inputs, outputs, and stocks are needed. Recommendations for minimizing uncertainty in P budgets based on the results of the study were developed. Quantifying, communicating, and constraining uncertainty in budgets among production systems and multiple geographies is critical for engaging stakeholders, developing local and national strategies for P reduction, and informing policy. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Welikhe
- Department of Agronomy, Purdue University
- National Soil Erosion Research Laboratory, USDA-ARS
| | - M R Williams
- National Soil Erosion Research Laboratory, USDA-ARS
| | - K King
- Soil Drainage Research Unit, USDA-ARS
| | - J Bos
- National Soil Erosion Research Laboratory, USDA-ARS
| | - M Akland
- Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Kentucky
| | - C Baffaut
- Cropping Systems and Water Quality Research Unit, USDA-ARS
| | | | - A Bierer
- Northwest Irrigation and Soils Research Lab, USDA-ARS
| | - D D Bosch
- Southeast Watershed Research Laboratory, USDA-ARS
| | - E S Brooks
- Department of Soil and Water Resources, University of Idaho
| | - A R Buda
- Pasture Systems and Watershed Management Research Unit, USDA-ARS
| | - M Cavigelli
- Sustainable Agricultural Systems Lab, USDA-ARS
| | - J Faulkner
- Department of Plant and Soil Science, University of Vermont
| | | | - A Fortuna
- Grazinglands Research Laboratory, USDA-ARS
| | - J Gamble
- Plant Science Research Unit, USDA-ARS
| | | | - M Z Hussain
- W.K. Kellogg Biological Station, Michigan State University
| | - J L Kovar
- National Laboratory for Agriculture and the Environment, USDA-ARS
| | - B Lee
- Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Kentucky
| | - A B Leytem
- Northwest Irrigation and Soils Research Lab, USDA-ARS
| | - M A Liebig
- Northern Great Plains Research Laboratory, USDA-ARS
| | - D Line
- Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, North Carolina State University
| | - M L Macrae
- Department of Geography and Environmental Management, University of Waterloo
| | - T B Moorman
- National Laboratory for Agriculture and the Environment, USDA-ARS
| | - D Moriasi
- Grazinglands Research Laboratory, USDA-ARS
| | - R Mumbi
- Department of Agronomy, Purdue University
- National Soil Erosion Research Laboratory, USDA-ARS
| | - N Nelson
- Department of Agronomy, Kansas State University
| | - A Ortega-Pieck
- Department of Soil and Water Resources, University of Idaho
| | - D Osmond
- Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, North Carolina State University
| | - C Penn
- National Soil Erosion Research Laboratory, USDA-ARS
| | - O Pisani
- Southeast Watershed Research Laboratory, USDA-ARS
| | - M L Reba
- Delta Water Management Research Unit, USDA-ARS
| | - D R Smith
- Grassland, Soil and Water Research Laboratory, USDA-ARS
| | - J Unrine
- Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Kentucky
- Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute
| | - P Webb
- Department of Crop, Soil, and Environmental Sciences, University of Arkansas
| | - K E White
- Sustainable Agricultural Systems Lab, USDA-ARS
| | - H Wilson
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Science and Technology Branch, Brandon Research and Development Centre
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