Use of flue gas desulfurization gypsum to reduce dissolved phosphorus in runoff and leachate from two agricultural soils

Highlights

● Gypsum can effectively decrease dissolved P loss via runoff and leachate from the areas with high soil P levels by increasing P uptake by ryegrass.

● Both surface application and mixing of gypsum into the topsoil reduced dissolved P losses.

● The effect of gypsum application method on dissolved P losses varied by soil texture.

● Flue gas desulfurization gypsum did not affect ryegrass biomass and also didn’t increase the accumulation of trace elements in soil and ryegrass.

Abstract

Controlling dissolved phosphorus (DP) loss from high P soil to avoid water eutrophication is a worldwide high priority. A greenhouse study was conducted in which flue gas desulfurization gypsum (FGDG) was applied by using different application methods and rates to two agricultural soils. Phosphorus fertilizer was incorporated into the soils at 2.95 g kg^–1 to simulate soil with high P levels. The FGDG was then applied at amounts of 0, 1.5, and 15 g kg^–1 soil on either the soil surface or mixed throughout the soil samples to simulate no-tillage and tillage, respectively. Ryegrass was planted after treatment application. The study showed that FGDG reduced runoff DP loss by 33% and leachate DP loss 38% in silt loam soil, and runoff DP loss 46% and leachate DP loss 14% in clay loam soil, at the treatment of 15 g kg^–1 FGDG. Mixing applied method (tillage) provided strong interaction with higher FGDG. To overall effect, the mixing-applied method performed better in controlling DP loss from silt loam soil, while surface-applied (no tillage) showed its advantage in controlling DP loss from clay loam soil. In practice it is necessary to optimize FGDG concentrations, application methods, and DP sources (runoff or leachate) to get maximized benefits of FGDG application. The FGDG application had no negative effects on the soil and ryegrass.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

Flue gas desulfurization gypsum (FGDG) / Silt loam soil / Clay loam soil / Dissolved phosphorus (DP) / Application method / Plant bioassay / Trace element assessment

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the China Scholarship Council (201306140128), the Young Scientist Fund of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31901207), and by state and federal funds appropriated to The Ohio State University and The Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, Wooster, OH, USA. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

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