Incorporation and Tillage Practices to Mitigate Phosphorus Loss Through Tile Drains Following Fall Application of Dairy Manure

A field-based approach for data collection was used. This included high resolution flow data for individual tiles, using a 10⁰ v-notch weir and pressure transducers in each weir box, and corrected with barometric pressure; furthermore, water samples were collected on a hydrological event basis. A total of 10 hydrologic events were captured over the non-growing season, with water samples being collected every 4 hours during events. Total phosphorus, total dissolved phosphorus, and soluble reactive phosphorus were analyzed from these samples. Soil samples at the start and end of the study period were also collected and tested for water-extractable phosphorus and Olsen phosphorus.

The goal of this project was to determine phosphorus (P) speciation and loads found within tile drains over the non-growing season (Oct-May), following fall application of dairy manure, under different land management treatments. These treatments included surface applied manure to a conservation tilled plot and a deep disc tilled plot, in addition to manure incorporation on a conservation tilled plot. This study used a field-based approach with soil samples, taken at the beginning and end of the experiment, as well as water samples collected on an event basis when flow was present within the tile drains. Soluble reactive P (SRP), total dissolved P (TDP), and total P (TP) were tested to determine P speciation and total loads. This dataset is collected to support the objectives of Agricultural Water Futures in Canada: Stressors and Solutions: Work Package 1". Agricultural Water Futures is a Pillar 3 project under the Global Water Futures Program funded by Canada First Research Excellence Fund.

Macrae, M., & Marshall, M. (2019). Incorporation and Tillage Practices to Mitigate Phosphorus Loss Through Tile Drains Following Fall Application of Dairy Manure. Waterloo, Canada: Canadian Cryospheric Information Network (CCIN). (Unpublished Data).

Perth South Township, Perth County, Ontario (part of the Glengowan subwatershed within the Upper Thames Valley watershed)

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