Evaluating vegetated buffer zones for phosphorus retention in cereal and grass production

The buffer zones seem to be effective to stop erosion and trap particle bound P in surface runoff from the autumn ploughed clay soil. On pastures, the buffers are not so important, if P fertiliser is not surface applied and the grazing intensity is not too high. However, the high DRP loss to surface runoff may be a real problem on grass fields in spring. The buffers are not able to uptake nutrients in early spring when the runoff is highest