the phosphorus cycle in n orthwest european agricultural soils

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The phosphorus cycle in northwest European agricultural soils Nutrihort September 17, 2013 Fien Amery Bart Vandecasteele Institute for Agricultural and Fisheries Research Plant Sciences Unit www.ilvo.vlaanderen.be Agriculture and Fisheries Policy Area

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The phosphorus cycle in n orthwest European agricultural soils. Fien Amery Bart Vandecasteele. Nutrihort September 17, 2013. Institute for Agricultural and Fisheries Research Plant Sciences Unit www.ilvo.vlaanderen.be Agriculture and Fisheries Policy Area. Phosphorus in water and soil. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Page 1: The phosphorus cycle in n orthwest  European agricultural soils

The phosphorus cycle in northwest European agricultural soils

NutrihortSeptember 17, 2013

Fien AmeryBart Vandecasteele

Institute for Agricultural and Fisheries ResearchPlant Sciences Unit

www.ilvo.vlaanderen.beAgriculture and Fisheries Policy Area

Page 2: The phosphorus cycle in n orthwest  European agricultural soils

Phosphorus in water and soil

2

• Phosphorus (P): negative effects on water ecology (eutrophication)→ Water Framework Directive→ Nitrate Directive

• Target: agricultural P application• Good, but…

– Impact on soil and crops?– Efficient tool?– Differences among Member States?

Literature study

Page 3: The phosphorus cycle in n orthwest  European agricultural soils

Phosphorus in surface waters

3

Water Framework Directive• Goal: good ecological status/potential of water bodies

• Each member state:– Define ecological reference condition and classifications for

each surface water type– Relate ecology to chemical/physical conditions (P concentration)– P concentration standard for each surface water type

Page 4: The phosphorus cycle in n orthwest  European agricultural soils

Phosphorus in surface waters

4

Water Framework Directive• Intercalibration exercise between member states• Guidance document (not legally binding)

0

0,2

0,4

0,6

0,8

1

1,2

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Tota

l Pho

spho

rus

(mg

l-1)

MS

Values of the Good/Moderate Boundary of Ecological status in European streams and rivers

EEFI LV UK LT CZ NL FR DE SK PL RO BGES

mean or none (mg l-1)

median (mg l-1)

90 percentile (mg l-1)

IT CYP

Value as EQR

BELU SE

Rivers (Claussen et al., 2012)

Flanders: 0.14 mg P/l + 0.07-0.14 mg ortho-P/l

Page 5: The phosphorus cycle in n orthwest  European agricultural soils

Phosphorus in surface waters

5

Water Framework Directive

0

0,05

0,1

0,15

0,2

0,25

0,3

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

Tota

l Pho

spho

rus

(mg

l-1)

MS

Values of the Good/Moderate Boundary of Ecological status in European lakes

EEFI LV UKLT CZ NLFR DE PL ROBGES

mean or none (mg l-1)

median (mg l-1)

AT SEIT CYP

Lakes (Claussen et al., 2012)

Flanders: 0.03-0.11 mg P/l

Page 6: The phosphorus cycle in n orthwest  European agricultural soils

Phosphorus in surface waters

6

• Difficult to compare: – Type of concentration– Statistics– Water type– Time of measurement– Monitoring network

Groundwater(points/1000 km²)

Surface water(points/1000 km²)

Belgium 99 38Germany 3 1Denmark 34 5France 5 3Ireland 1 3The Netherlands 33 13United Kingdom 13 33Finland 0.2 0.4average 13.7 7.4

Source: van Grinsven et al., 2012

• Thresholds are exceeded in Europe: – 60% of NiD measuring points in Flanders– 57% of NiD measuring points in the Netherlands

→ P application in agriculture is targeted

Page 7: The phosphorus cycle in n orthwest  European agricultural soils

Phosphorus in agricultural soils

7

• Phosphorus losses from soil– In general: losses increase with increasing soil P concentration– Often: exponential increase above a threshold P concentration– Important: transport and hydrological factors

→ Keep soil P concentration under thresholdSoil P concentration

yiel

d targetzone

P loss

Page 8: The phosphorus cycle in n orthwest  European agricultural soils

Phosphorus in agricultural soils

8

• BUT what about crop yields?– Farmers fear smaller crop yields– However: none/small yield reductions expected at P-input < P-

export given the large soil P reserves in NW Europe

Soil P concentration

yiel

d targetzone

P loss

Page 9: The phosphorus cycle in n orthwest  European agricultural soils

Phosphorus in agricultural soils

9

• Target zone:– optimum crop yields (agro-economical)– Minimal soil P losses (ecological)

– Left of target zone: P input > P export– In target zone: P input = P export (equilibrium fertilisation)– Right of target zone: P input < P export

Soil P concentration

yiel

d targetzone

P loss

Page 10: The phosphorus cycle in n orthwest  European agricultural soils

How to reach the target zone?

10

1. Sound fertilisation advice• Target zone of fertilisation advice

– often > economic/ecological target zone– Wide variation in Europe

20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200

Flanders (BE)

Hungary

Lithuania

Norway

Slovenia

Sweden

Soil P concentration (P-AL, mg P/kg soil)

Soil P concentration

yiel

d

targetzone

P loss

Source: Jordan-Meille et al., 2012

Page 11: The phosphorus cycle in n orthwest  European agricultural soils

How to reach the target zone?

11

1. Sound fertilisation advice• Flanders: highest target zone for fertilisation advice

+ fertilisation advice for target zone soils > P export

Soil P concentration

yiel

d targetzone

P loss

Crop Advise (kg P2O5/ha/yr)a

P-export (kg P2O5/ha/yr)b

Chicory 81 43

Broccoli 130 12

Celeriac 110 67

Leek 113 34

Salsify 103 27

Spinach 131 16

Brussels sprouts 132 33

Carrots 132 62

Strawberry 146 11a Average for the target zone according to the Bodemkundige Dienst België (Maes, 2012)b Average in the Netherlands (Ehlert et al., 2009)

Page 12: The phosphorus cycle in n orthwest  European agricultural soils

How to reach the target zone?

12

1. Sound fertilisation advice• A need for updated fertilisation advice

– New knowledge and methods– Advice often based on trials from 40 years ago and limited tested

crops• Significant effort! • Example: the Netherlands (see presentation 23)• In addition: farmers often apply more than the recommended

dose

Page 13: The phosphorus cycle in n orthwest  European agricultural soils

How to reach the target zone?

13

2. Application standards• Phosphorus application standards to limit soil P

concentrations– Most countries: no P limits

a First numbers: for 2013-2014. Numbers between brackets: proposed standards from 2017 on. Standard for phosphate saturated soils: 40 kg P2O5/ha/yr; b Agricultural system: grassland or arable crops; c Standards only for organic P fertilisation

Country (region) Differentiation P fertilisation standard (kg P2O5/ha/yr)

Belgium (Flanders) Crop 65-95 (55-90)a

The Netherlands Soil and agricultural systemb 55-120Ireland Soil and crop 0-286Sweden - 50c

Slovenia - 120c

France (Brittany) Type of farm 183-218

Page 14: The phosphorus cycle in n orthwest  European agricultural soils

How to reach the target zone?

14

2. Application standards• Differentiation of the P application standards?

– Crop differentiation (Flanders, Belgium): P limit ≈ P-export

– Soil P differentiation (the Netherlands): P limit according to P soil

– Soil P and crop differentiation (Ireland)

Soil P concentration

yiel

d

targetzone

P loss

Soil P concentration

yiel

d

targetzone

P loss

Soil P concentration

yiel

dtargetzone

P loss

Soil P concentration

yiel

d

targetzone

P loss

Soil P concentration

yiel

d

targetzone

P loss

Soil P concentration

yiel

d

targetzone

P loss

Page 15: The phosphorus cycle in n orthwest  European agricultural soils

How to reach the target zone?

15

2. Application standards• Flanders: no crop

differentiation within the vegetable group: 65 kg P2O5/ha/yr = 28 kg P/ha/yr (2017: 55 kg P2O5/ha/yr = 24 kg P/ha/yr)

• Ireland: standards in kg P/ha/yr

Page 16: The phosphorus cycle in n orthwest  European agricultural soils

How to reach the target zone?

16

2. Application standards• Flexibility in application standards?

– The Netherlands: 20 kg P2O5/ha/yr transferrable to next year– The Netherlands and Flanders: P application by compost accounts

for only 50%– Not present in legislation: higher application standards when more

than one crop per year is grown

Page 17: The phosphorus cycle in n orthwest  European agricultural soils

Remarks

17

• Despite attemps to reduce P fertilisation, P concentrations in water bodies remain high– Low mobility of P– Legacy P– Contribution of point sources?– Even if P concentration decreases, ecology not ameliorated

• Alternatives– Targeting point sources– Targeting transport, edge-of-field measures (e.g. chemical soil

amendments, capturing P in wetlands or filters, etc.)

Page 18: The phosphorus cycle in n orthwest  European agricultural soils

Conclusion

18

• Large differences in Europe– P concentration standards in water bodies– Monitoring– P fertilisation advice– P application standards

• When targeting agricultural P application: P gift should be adapted to soil P concentration and crop demand– Sound fertilisation advice– Differentiated application standards

Soil P concentration

yiel

d targetzone

P loss

Page 19: The phosphorus cycle in n orthwest  European agricultural soils

Thanks for your attention!

Institute for Agricultural and Fisheries ResearchPlant Sciences Unit

www.ilvo.vlaanderen.beAgriculture and Fisheries Policy Area

Fien AmeryBart Vandecasteele

NutrihortSeptember 17 2013

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