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Updated: Mar 18, 2026

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A Protocol for Collecting and Constructing Soil Core Lysimeters
Published on: June 6, 2016
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Phosphorus Leaching in Soils Amended with Animal Manures Generated from Modified Diets
Journal of Environmental Quality
|July 6, 2016
Summary
Dietary changes for dairy and poultry reduced phosphorus (P) in manure. However, applying these manures at the same P rate still led to P leaching, especially with preferential flow in soils.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Soil Science
- Animal Nutrition
Background:
- Dairy and poultry production generate phosphorus (P) waste.
- Dietary modifications aim to decrease P excretion in manure.
- Reducing P leaching is crucial for environmental protection.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of dietary P modifications in dairy and poultry manures.
- To assess P leaching losses following land application of treated manures.
- To understand the impact of manure P content and soil properties on P leaching.
Main Methods:
- Utilized 54 undisturbed soil lysimeters from the mid-Atlantic region.
- Applied treatments of superphosphate, low-P dairy manure, and P-reduced broiler litter (with phytase).
- Irrigated lysimeters weekly for 9 weeks and analyzed leachate for P forms.
Main Results:
- Dissolved P, not particulate P, dominated leachate.
- Superphosphate caused higher dissolved reactive P (DRP) leaching than manures due to higher solubility.
- Lower P solubility in manures/litters reduced DRP leaching, but increased manure application volume offset some benefits.
Conclusions:
- Dietary P reduction effectively lowered P content in manures and litters.
- Land application of these modified manures at equivalent P rates still resulted in P leaching.
- Preferential flow in soils exacerbated DRP leaching, particularly with superphosphate.
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