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Conservation tillage and optimized fertilization reduce winter runoff losses of nitrogen and phosphorus from farmland in the Chaohu Lake region, China

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Abstract

In order to test the efficacy of conservation tillage and optimized fertilization on reducing N and P runoff losses, a 4-year (2007–2011) runoff plot experiment was conducted in the Chaohu Lake region, East China. There were four treatments including: (1) conventional tillage (CT, basal fertilization without mulch), (2) conventional tillage with straw mulching (CTS), (3) optimized fertilization (OPF, split applications) and (4) no-tillage with straw mulching plus optimized fertilization (NTS + OPF). Results showed that CTS and NTS + OPF exhibited significant reduction of seasonal runoff and soil losses compared with CT (P < 0.05). OPF decreased runoff by 6–10 and soil loss by 9–27 % in the various years, but differences were not always statistically significant. Interestingly, winter wheat and rapeseed yields were on average higher in the conservation tillage and optimized fertilization treatment than in the CT treatment. Compared with CT, CTS reduced N losses by 14–25 %, OPF by 12–21 % and NTS + OPF 20–28 %. Similarly, CTS reduced P losses by 20–32 %, OPF by 11–21 % and NTS + OPF by 23–30 %. NTS + OPF was the most effective treatment for reducing nutrient losses. The reduction of runoff volume was mainly responsible for the decreased nutrient losses. Our findings indicates that conservation tillage and optimized fertilization may reduce N and P losses via runoff while maintaining or enhancing crop yields during the winter-crop growing seasons in the Chaohu Lake region.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 41401308), National Key Technology R&D Program (Grant Nos. 2012BAD15B03 and 2007BAD87B06) and the Anhui Province Technical Program (Grant No. 1406c085025). We greatly thank editors and anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments and suggestions on earlier drafts of this manuscript. We specially thank Prof. Oene Oenema, from Environmental Sciences, Wageningen University, for his professional advices and help with English language. We also thank Dr. Yin Ye, from Soil and Fertilizer Research Institute, Anhui Academy of Agricultural Sciences, for his technical support on artwork.

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  1. College of Resources and Environment, Huazhong Agricultural University, No. 1, Shizishan Street, Hongshan District, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei Province, China

    **g Wang, Guoan Lü & Shuwen Ding

  2. Soil and Fertilizer Research Institute, Anhui Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hefei, 230031, Anhui Province, China

    **g Wang, **sheng Guo, Yunqing Wang & Daozhong Wang

  3. Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Nutrient Recycling, Resources and Environment, Hefei, 230031, China

    **g Wang, **sheng Guo, Yunqing Wang & Daozhong Wang

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  1. **g Wang
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  2. Guoan Lü
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  3. **sheng Guo
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  4. Yunqing Wang
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Correspondence to Guoan Lü or **sheng Guo.

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Wang, J., Lü, G., Guo, X. et al. Conservation tillage and optimized fertilization reduce winter runoff losses of nitrogen and phosphorus from farmland in the Chaohu Lake region, China. Nutr Cycl Agroecosyst 101, 93–106 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10705-014-9664-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10705-014-9664-3

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