Project Number: 1902-13000-009-07
Project Type: Reimbursable

Start Date: Jan 01, 2004
End Date: Dec 31, 2004

Objective:
The objective of this cooperative research project is to (1) characterize the relative efficacy of AMD treatment to sequester P; (2) determine the effect of AMD treatment residuals on decreasing WEP in soil and manure; (3) determine the effect of AMD treatment residuals on decreasing P in surface runoff and leaching.

Approach:
The relative efficacy of AMD treatment residuals to sequester P will be characterized by constructing sorption isotherms. The isotherm will be constructed by equilibrating duplicate 1 g samples of each AMD residual for 24 hours in 25 ml aliquots of 5 standard P solutions (90-300 mg P/L), centrifuging and filtering. Phosphorus concentrations in the filtrate will then be measured by the colorimetric method of Murphy and Riley (1962). This data will determine the rates of AMD treatment residuals to be used in the soil and manure incubation studies. The data will also provide comparison to other residuals currently being evaluated for sequestering P in soils and manures. The effect of AMD treatment residuals of decreasing WEP in soils and manure will be determined using three central Pennsylvania soils, Klinesville (loamy-skeletal, mixed, mesic Typic Dystrochept), Hagerstown (fine, mixed, mesic, Typic Hapludalf), and Watson (fine-loamy, mixed, mesic, Typic Fragiudult). These soils are representative of those derived from e shale and limestone, common to the livestock farming areas of the northeast U.S. and have been used in previous studies determining the effect of other residuals in decreasing WEP. Poultry, dairy and swine manures will be collected from Penn State College Agriculture research facilities and analyzed by the Penn State Agricultural Analytical Services Laboratory. Five rates (0, 10, 20, 40, and 80 g/kg soil) of up to five AMD treatment residuals will be thoroughly mixed with four 100 g replicate soil or manure samples. After mixing residuals and soil or manure, the mixture will be incubated at ambient temperature (about 25 C) for 21 d. After incubation, the soil and manure samples will be analyzed for WEP and Mehlich 3 P (plant available). The effect of AMD treatment residuals on decreasing P loss in runoff and leachate will be determined by runoff experiments using the same soils in Objective 2. The soils will be packed into 20-cm wide, 120-cm long, and 10-cm deep aluminum boxes to conduct experiments with direct soil application of AMD treatment residuals and application of AMD with treated manure. The boxes will then be seeded to Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratense), and the grass allowed to establish. Up to five AMD-treatment residuals will be used for the direct soil and treated manure applications. An untreated control for each soil will also be included and all treatments will be duplicated. Surface runoff from the boxes will be determined using a rainfall simulator. Two 30-min rainfall events of 5 cm hr-1 will be applied at 1-d intervals to each box angled at a 5% slope. Surface runoff will be analyzed for dissolved P (DP), total P (TP), and suspended sediment.

Project Team

Bryant, Ray

Related National Programs

Water Quality & Management (201)   Manure and Byproduct Utilization (206)