Getting a Grip on Biosolids:The Impact of Phosphorus Loading Rates in Australia

In Australia, approximately half of the estimated 275,000 dry tonnes of biosolids produced annually are used in agricultural land application programs as a source of plant nutrients, primarily nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P). Application rates of biosolids typically range from 7 to 20 dry t/ha, with...

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Main Authors: Pritchard, Deborah, Penney, N., Bell, M., Barry, G.
Other Authors: R.J. LeBlanc
Format: Conference Paper
Published: International Water Association 2007
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/14914
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author Pritchard, Deborah
Penney, N.
Bell, M.
Barry, G.
author2 R.J. LeBlanc
author_facet R.J. LeBlanc
Pritchard, Deborah
Penney, N.
Bell, M.
Barry, G.
author_sort Pritchard, Deborah
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description In Australia, approximately half of the estimated 275,000 dry tonnes of biosolids produced annually are used in agricultural land application programs as a source of plant nutrients, primarily nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P). Application rates of biosolids typically range from 7 to 20 dry t/ha, with rates commonly determined by the N limiting biosolids application rate (NLBAR), a function of the type of biosolids, the crop N requirement, and in some instances, the N status of the soil. The ramification of applying biosolids based on the NLBAR is that the accompanying P applications are much higher than traditional sources of P fertiliser that are applied at much lower rates consistent with P removal by the crop. To date, there is very little research data to implicate P applied in biosolids as a source of nutrient pollution, even at the high loading rates. The National Biosolids Research Project (NBRP), which has operated across five states in Australia, has recently culminated four years of research into the impact of land application of biosolids on soil and plant nutrient concentrations in a range of soil types, crops and climates. In this paper, changes in total soil P, bicarbonate extractable soil P and mass balances are reported for a range of biosolids, soils and crops throughout Australia as an indication of the bioavailability of biosolid P and risk of off-site movement compared with inorganic fertiliser P.
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spelling curtin-20.500.11937-149142022-11-21T05:19:40Z Getting a Grip on Biosolids:The Impact of Phosphorus Loading Rates in Australia Pritchard, Deborah Penney, N. Bell, M. Barry, G. R.J. LeBlanc P.J. Laughton R. Tyagi National Biosolids Research Program phosphorus Biosolids In Australia, approximately half of the estimated 275,000 dry tonnes of biosolids produced annually are used in agricultural land application programs as a source of plant nutrients, primarily nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P). Application rates of biosolids typically range from 7 to 20 dry t/ha, with rates commonly determined by the N limiting biosolids application rate (NLBAR), a function of the type of biosolids, the crop N requirement, and in some instances, the N status of the soil. The ramification of applying biosolids based on the NLBAR is that the accompanying P applications are much higher than traditional sources of P fertiliser that are applied at much lower rates consistent with P removal by the crop. To date, there is very little research data to implicate P applied in biosolids as a source of nutrient pollution, even at the high loading rates. The National Biosolids Research Project (NBRP), which has operated across five states in Australia, has recently culminated four years of research into the impact of land application of biosolids on soil and plant nutrient concentrations in a range of soil types, crops and climates. In this paper, changes in total soil P, bicarbonate extractable soil P and mass balances are reported for a range of biosolids, soils and crops throughout Australia as an indication of the bioavailability of biosolid P and risk of off-site movement compared with inorganic fertiliser P. 2007 Conference Paper http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/14914 International Water Association restricted
spellingShingle National Biosolids Research Program
phosphorus
Biosolids
Pritchard, Deborah
Penney, N.
Bell, M.
Barry, G.
Getting a Grip on Biosolids:The Impact of Phosphorus Loading Rates in Australia
title Getting a Grip on Biosolids:The Impact of Phosphorus Loading Rates in Australia
title_full Getting a Grip on Biosolids:The Impact of Phosphorus Loading Rates in Australia
title_fullStr Getting a Grip on Biosolids:The Impact of Phosphorus Loading Rates in Australia
title_full_unstemmed Getting a Grip on Biosolids:The Impact of Phosphorus Loading Rates in Australia
title_short Getting a Grip on Biosolids:The Impact of Phosphorus Loading Rates in Australia
title_sort getting a grip on biosolids:the impact of phosphorus loading rates in australia
topic National Biosolids Research Program
phosphorus
Biosolids
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/14914