| Abstract: | Negative impacts of land‐applied aluminum (Al)–rich water treatment residuals (WTRs), which have been suggested to improve soil phosphorus (P) sorption, could include excessive immobilization of plant‐available P and Al phytotoxicity. We studied the impacts of an Al‐rich WTRs on agronomic returns and plant Al concentrations in glasshouse and field studies. The glasshouse study was a 4 × 2 × 3 factorial experiment with one control in a randomized complete block design and three replicates. Four sources of P were each applied at two agronomic rate 44 kg P ha?1, P‐based rate; and 179 kg plant‐available nitrogen (PAN) ha?1, N‐based rate] to topsoil (0–15 cm) of a sandy, siliceous, hyperthermic Arenic Alaquods. Three WTR rates (0, 10, and 25 g kg?1 oven‐dry‐weight basis) were further applied, whereas the control received neither P source nor WTRs. Bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum Fluggae), ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.), and a second bahiagrass crop were continuously grown in succession for 18 months. Applied WTRs increased soil Al but not plant Al concentrations (22–80 mg Al kg?1), which fell within the normal concentration range for pasture plants. In the glasshouse, when WTRs were incorporated with the soil, bahiagrass dry matter (DM) accumulation was reduced, but ryegrass DM was not affected even at 25 g kg?1 WTR. A 2‐year field study, with same treatments but two rates of WTRs (0 and 10 g kg?1 WTR) surface applied to established bahiagrass on the same soil type (Spodosols) showed neither reduced yields nor increased plant Al phytoavailability in the WTR treatments. The studies show no increase in plant Al is associated with Al‐WTRs applied to reduce excess soil‐soluble P and P losses but plant DM accumulation may be reduced. |
