The effects of excessive liquid hog manure applications on phosphorus concentrations in soil and surface runoff from corn and forage crops /

A study was initiated in 1989 to examine the effects of applying excess liquid hog manure with mineral fertilizers to corn and forage crops. Manure was applied yearly at twice the recommended level either in the spring, fall or a combination of both spring and fall applications. Mineral fertilizers were applied at recommended levels to plots receiving only mineral fertilizers and to manure treatment plots. Two control plots received no fertilizers.During the summer of 1999, soil samples were taken at a depth of 0--2 cm and analysed using different phosphorus extractants. Six runoff events were sampled and analysed for different phosphorus fractions.Strong correlations were found in corn plots between average dissolved reactive phosphorus concentrations in runoff and soil test phosphorus concentrations. Timing of manure application had a significant impact on both soil and runoff phosphorus concentrations. Runoff from forage plots had significantly higher concentrations of dissolved phosphorus, but phosphorus loads were greater from corn plots due to higher runoff volumes. Corn plots released significantly higher particulate phosphorus concentrations than forage plots because of higher sediment loads in runoff from corn plots