[USCC] P accumulation in manured fields

Wed Sep 6 12:17:07 CDT 2006

Rufus, David, Larry and others;

I suggest a procedure something like this:
Using an Imhoff cone like the settling solids procedure in Standard 
Methods (2540F settleable solids) where you add a 50 gram sample dry 
wt(?)/ fill to liter mark with water/ stir well/ let settle for 45 min / 
"gently agitate sample near the sides of the cone with a rod or by 
spinning" / wait 15 min. Then pour off the top 100 mls of liquid 
(include floatables) and digest in strong acid to get total P using ICP.

This will get something like what will be in the run-off including 
floatables and suspended sediment and will be the "total run-off P" - 
the total P that is, or will be, available.  This will include: (1) 
total dissolved P (2) total reactive P (3) suspended acid hydrolyzable P 
and (4) suspended organic P.

It will be a reproducible test method using standard equipment.

Frank

David Schellinger wrote:

>U.S. COMPOSTING COUNCIL 15th ANNUAL CONFERENCE AND TRADESHOW
>Wyndham Orlando Resort | Orlando, FL | January 21-24, 2007
>The National forum for those involved in the development and expansion of the composting and organics recycling industry
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>
>
>Rufus and Frank,
>I have wonder if the water extraction used on soils, even though it is
>adequate for testing plant available soil P concentrations, will be adequate
>for testing compost plant available P.  Water tends to take on the pH of the
>materials to which it is added, so water an acid soil would be at the
>approximate pH of the soil, which is adequate for determining solubility of
>P under the existing soil conditions.  But compost is a soil amendment. 
>
>If I extracted a high pH compost or manure with water but the compost was
>used to amend an acid soil, wouldn't the potential availability of P from
>the material be influence by the change in conditions; would the soluble
>fraction of P be increased do to changes in the pH in the surrounding soil?
>Therefore, would the extraction of P from compost or manure using water
>underestimate the available P under such circumstances?  So, is water
>extraction the best method for estimating available P or would dilute acid
>extraction be more adequate to determine the "potential" available fraction
>of P in a compost?
>
>Dave Schellinger
>W. A. Callegari Environmental Center     
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: compost-bounces at composter.com [mailto:compost-bounces at composter.com]
>On Behalf Of Rufus Chaney
>Sent: Wednesday, August 30, 2006 12:25 PM
>To: compost at composter.com
>Subject: Re: [USCC] P accumulation in manured fields
>
>U.S. COMPOSTING COUNCIL 15th ANNUAL CONFERENCE AND TRADESHOW
>Wyndham Orlando Resort | Orlando, FL | January 21-24, 2007
>The National forum for those involved in the development and expansion of
>the composting and organics recycling industry
>CONFERENCE PROGRAM, REGISTRATION FORMS, WORKSHOP AGENDAS,
>EXHIBITOR INFORMATION AND SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES ARE AVAILABLE AT THE
>USCC WEBSITE: www.compostingcouncil.org OR CALL THE USCC AT 631-737-4931 
>
>
>Dear Frank and USCC Folks:
>
>You raise an important issue, and I have to report that the needed method
>has not been adopted at this date.
>
>1. It has been found in numerous studies by now that soil test P (Mehlich,
>Bray, Olsen, etc.) does not correlate very well with runoff or leaching of
>P. These extractants have chemicals which are supposed to dissolve P that
>the roots can dissolve and absorb, and that pool of P is different from the
>P which enters runoff or leaches.
>
>2. We published several examples of the disagreement between soil-test-P
>(STP) and water soluble P (WSP) and the ability of added Water Treatment
>Residue to lower the WSP vs. STP in our paper in the last Composting
>Conference Proceedings, and the Bio-Based Plant Nutrient Product
>proceedings.
>
>3. According to the leaders in this field of research and extension, an
>extraction of soil with pure water at 1 g dry soil per 100 mL, and measuring
>the free inorganic "reactive" phosphate in the millipore filtered extract,
>is the best correlated measure of P in field runoff tests. We have used this
>ratio (Codling, Chaney et al.) and believe it is likely to be the ratio
>adopted within a few years. Agreement that a STP should not be the
>extraction used to predict risk of P in soil or manure is quite wide among
>researchers. Papers about the water extraction will be appearing for several
>years, and some official method may be selected soon. 
>
>4. One example is reported in the paper: Kleinman, P.J.A., A.N. Sharpley,
>A.M. Wolf, D.B. Beegle and P.A. Moore, Jr. 2002. Measuring water-extractable
>phosphorus in manure as an indicator of phosphorus in runoff. Soil Sci. Soc.
>Am. J. 66:2009-2015. This specific method is pretty much what is being
>considered by experts on phosphate runoff.
>
>Regards,
>
>Rufus Chaney
>Beltsville, MD
>----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>---------
>  
>
>>>>frank at compostlab.com 08/29/06 12:50PM >>>
>>>>        
>>>>
>Rufus,
>
>First I wonder what type of P test should be done on compost to measure the
>'problem' phosphorus?
>
>I suggest 'Dissolved acid-hydrolyzable phosphorus'. But first we should know
>if when using this method adding Al to the compost will reduce the measured
>P -as we need it to do if we use Al to solve the problem. 
>
>SM 4500 Method: filter a water extract (suggest 1:5 w/w) thru 45um pore
>membrane filter / add dilute acid and boil for 90 min.
>
>Frank
>---------------------------
>(snip)
>
>  
>
>>High P accumulation in soil is already regulated in some states.
>>    
>>
>Imperfectly regulated. Composts are not yet strongly regulated in relation
>to plant available or water soluble P in the amended soil, but regs are
>moving toward limiting the Water Extractable Phosphate (WEP) of the soil
>amendment or amended soil. Slopes and other factors which affect runoff and
>erosion are increasing included in planned regulations for manure P
>applications.
>  
>
>> 
>>    
>>
>--------------------------
>  
>
>>(snip)
>>
>>Most evidence shows that the P is adsorbed on Fe and Al hydroxides,
>>    
>>
>although some is slowly converted to inorganic compounds of P in the soil or
>diffuses inside the micropores in the oxides. Plants can utilize the
>adsorbed and organic P, and even the P compounds, by the mechanisms they use
>within the rhizosphere to dissolve and absorb soil P for normal soils. We
>did one test of the P available to wheat from soils on my long term
>biosolids plots at Beltsvsille and found that with no P fertilizer the wheat
>obtained adequate P for full growth. So the P adsorbed on Fe and Al has
>remained plant available. Other's research also supports this conclusion.
>.....  
>  
>
>>Regards,
>>
>>Rufus Chaney
>>Beltsville, MD
>>
>>
>>-----------------------------------------------------------------------
>>Jerry d'Aquin, Con-Sul, Inc.   
>>    One area which is of concern to me on a multi-decade time horizon is
>>    
>>
>the practice of applying alum to fields receiving high doses of poultry
>litter. This approach has been promoted by the U of Arkansas as a means to
>convert soluble P in litter to an insoluble form. This permits high-volume
>litter applications while limiting P runoff and percolation into surface
>and ground waters. In my mind, we are (at best) over-accumulating ground P
>until the point when it again becomes an issue (if it ever ceased being so)
>AND artificially injecting Al as aluminum phosphate into a long  term
>equation -- rather than simply "biting the bullet" and  dispersing litter
>over a larger area and at doses appropriate for requisite  nutrient uptake
>of those crops. Am I wrong regarding the use of alum?
>
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>Contact Jack Cooper 301/384-8287 JLC at fien.com --- www.fien.com
>
>Renewable Carbon Management, LLC with the containerized, in-vessel NaturTech Composting System www.composter.com rcm at composter.com
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>(c) Copyright 2006 United States  - All rights reserved
>
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-- 
Frank Shields
Soil Control Lab
42 Hangar way
Watsonville, CA  95076
(831) 724-5422 tel
(831) 724-3188 fax
frank at compostlab.com
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