Phosphorus fertilizer and grazing management effects on phosphorus in runoff from dairy pastures

Fertilizer phosphorus (P) and grazing-related factors can influence runoff P concentrations from grazed pastures. To investigate these effects, we monitored the concentrations of P in surface runoff from grazed dairy pasture plots (50 × 25 m) treated with four fertilizer P rates (0, 20, 40, and 80 kg ha^sup -1^ yr^sup -1^) for 3.5 yr at Camden, New South Wales. Total P concentrations in runoff were high (0.86-11.13 mg L^sup -1^) even from the control plot (average 1.94 mg L^sup -1^). Phosphorus fertilizer significantly (P < 0.001) increased runoff P concentrations (average runoff P concentrations from the P^sub 20^, P^sub 40^, and P^sub 80^ treatments were 2.78, 3.32, and 5.57 mg L^sup -1^, respectively). However, the magnitude of the effect of P fertilizer varied between runoff events (P < 0.01). Further analysis revealed the combined effects on runoff P concentration of P rate, P rate × number of applications (P < 0.001), P rate × time since fertilizer (P < 0.001), dung P (P < 0.001), time since grazing (P < 0.05), and pasture biomass (P < 0.001). A conceptual model of the sources of P in runoff comprising three components is proposed to explain the mobilization of P in runoff and to identify strategies to reduce runoff P concentrations. Our data suggest that the principal strategy for minimizing runoff P concentrations from grazed dairy pastures should be the maintenance of soil P at or near the agronomic optimum by the use of appropriate rates of P fertilizer.