Factors Influencing Runoff P Losses from Farmlandsof the Dianchi Lake Watershed in Yunnan, China

Effects of factors such as slope, surface soil texture, fertilization and crop cover with different rainfall intensitieson phosphorus (P) losses in farmland runoff of the Dianchi Lake Watershed in Yunnan Province of China were studiedthrough a rainfall simulation test using a red soil, one of the most widely distributed soils of the study area. Resultsshowed that the runoff concentrations of total phosphorus (TP) and P losses differed with the slope, being highest whenthe slope was 18~. At two different rainfall intensities, the runoff TP and P losses had a similar decreasing trend asthe surface soil texture became coarser, therefore applying the grit would decrease P in runoff from soils of farmland onslopes with heavier textures. With wheat as a crop cover the runoff TP concentrations and P losses were significantlylower than those of the bare soil. This showed that plant cover would greatly decrease P in runoff from the farmland ofthe study area. The TP concentration in runoff from the soil two days after fertilization doubled when compared withthat from the non-fertilized soil, indicating that fertilization could mean a dramatic rise in P runoff if irrigation or heavyrainfall occurred immediately after application and that no fertilization before a rain and no irrigation immediately afterfertilization would reduce runoff P loss from the farmland of the study area.

Factors Influencing Runoff P Losses from Farmlandsof the Dianchi Lake Watershed in Yunnan, China

Effects of factors such as slope, surface soil texture, fertilization and crop cover with different rainfall intensitieson phosphorus (P) losses in farmland runoff of the Dianchi Lake Watershed in Yunnan Province of China were studiedthrough a rainfall simulation test using a red soil, one of the most widely distributed soils of the study area. Resultsshowed that the runoff concentrations of total phosphorus (TP) and P losses differed with the slope, being highest whenthe slope was 18~. At two different rainfall intensities, the runoff TP and P losses had a similar decreasing trend asthe surface soil texture became coarser, therefore applying the grit would decrease P in runoff from soils of farmland onslopes with heavier textures. With wheat as a crop cover the runoff TP concentrations and P losses were significantlylower than those of the bare soil. This showed that plant cover would greatly decrease P in runoff from the farmland ofthe study area. The TP concentration in runoff from the soil two days after fertilization doubled when compared withthat from the non-fertilized soil, indicating that fertilization could mean a dramatic rise in P runoff if irrigation or heavyrainfall occurred immediately after application and that no fertilization before a rain and no irrigation immediately afterfertilization would reduce runoff P loss from the farmland of the study area.