ARS | Publication request: RELEASE AND PARTITIONING OF MANURE-BORNE PHOSPHORUS AND FECAL COLIFORMS

Submitted to: ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: July 19, 2004
Publication Date: October 31, 2004
Citation: Shelton, D.R., Guber, A.K., Sikora, L.J., Sadeghi, A.M., Pachepsky, Y.A., Nemes, A. 2004. Release and partitioning of manure-borne phosphorus and fecal coliforms[abstract]. ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting Abstracts. 2004 CDROM.

Technical Abstract: Land-applied manure contributes phosphorus (P) and fecal coliforms (FC) in runoff and sediment. Objectives of this work were (a) to compare kinetics of P and FC release from the dissolving manure at a hillslope under simulated rainfall, and (b) to evaluate the partitioning of fecal coliforms between runoff and suspended sediment. Two-by-six meters runoff plots were set in triplicate at 20% slopes with sandy loam and loam soils in the ARS Beltsville Agricultural Research Center. Fresh bovine manure was applied at the top 30-cm strip, and rainfall of about 6 cm per hour was simulated for 1 hour at bare plots and for 1.5 hours at vegetated plots. Runoff was also collected at mini-plots in the immediate vicinity of the 30x50 cm application area. Comparison of release data from different mini-plots was more favorable if the volume of rainfall was used instead of the rainfall duration. There was a similarity in release kinetics of fecal coliforms and P as characterized by soluble P. The fast release phase of about 20 minutes was followed by the slow release phase. Partitioning of fecal coliforms between runoff and suspended sediment was quantified using the partitioning coefficient Kd. There was six-fold difference between Kd values determined in spring and in fall at the same plots. No significant effect of soil texture was found on release and partitioning of FC and P in this work.