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The present study aimed to assess the synergistic effects of superabsorbent polyacrylamide hydrogel (SPH) and gypsum on colloidal phosphorus (CP) release from different farmlands (i.e. tea, vegetable, and paddy soils). A laboratory experiment was carried out to examine the effects of SPH at different rates of 0.00, 0.01, 0.05, and 0.1% (w/w) and gypsum at the rates of 0 and 0.005% (w/w) on CP released from different farmland soils. For this purpose, CP, colloidal molybdate–reactive P (MRPc), and colloidal molybdenum–unreactive P (MUPc) were measured in soil solutions. The results revealed that the release of CP, MRPc, and MUPc ranged respectively from 5.20 to 56.65, 1.62 to 39.09, and 0.33 to 37.10% of total P (TP) in soil solutions across three farmland soils. Besides, the soils treated with SPH and gypsum (0.1%) mitigated CP release respectively by 51.75%, 62.64%, 24.13%, and 62.74% for tea, vegetable, silt loam paddy, and loam paddy soils. However, the MRPc release dropped respectively by 40.22%, 41.04%, 38.55%, and 63.70% in tea, vegetable, silt loam paddy, and loam paddy soils, and similar trends were observed in MUPc, namely, 43.72%, 49.37%, 35.71%, and 56.17% respectively in tea, vegetable, silt loam paddy, and loam paddy soils. The results indicated that gypsum could make a binding in the carboxyl group of polyacrylamide (PAM)/SPH and anion CP because of decreased CP release. The major form of P was CP, and co-application of PAM/SPH and gypsum could be a promising management approach to moderate CP release from agricultural soils.

The agricultural use of manure fertilizer increases the phosphorus (P) saturation of soils and the risk of colloidal P (Pcoll) release to aquatic ecosystems. Two experiments were conducted to identify whether Pteris vittata plantation can decrease Pcoll contents in two soils (Cambisol and Anthrosol) amended with various manure P rates (0, 10, 25, and 50 mg P kg−1 of soil). The total Pcoll contents in manured soil without P. vittata were 1.14–3.37 mg kg−1 (Cambisol), and 0.01–2.83 mg kg−1 (Anthrosol) across manure-P rates. The corresponding values with P. vittata were 0.97–2.33 mg kg−1 (Cambisol) and 0.005–1.6 mg kg−1 (Anthrosol). Experimentally determined colloidal minerals (Fe, Al, Ca), colloidal total organic carbon, Mehlich−3 nutrients (Fe, Al, and Ca), and the degree of P saturation were good predictors of Pcoll concentrations in both soils with and without P. vittata plantation. In unplanted soils, P adsorption decreased and the degree of P saturation increased which released more Pcoll. However, P. vittata plantation decreased the Pcoll release and P loss risk due to the increase of P adsorption and reduced DPS in both soils. The P fractions (NaOH, NH4F, and HCl–P) contributed to increase the P pool in planted soils which enhanced the bioavailability of Pcoll and increased the P. vittata biomass. It suggested that P. vittata plantation was an effective approach to reduce Pcoll release from manure amended soils.

Excessive application of phosphorus (P) fertilizer to the agriculture soil can lead to the P loss to the aquatic ecosystem. Three soils from different land use (tea, paddy, and vegetable soils) were treated with biogas slurry (BS) at rate of 79.8 kg ha−1, anionic polyacrylamide (PAM) at rate of 12.5, 25 and 50 kg ha−1, Gypsum (Gy) at rate of 5t ha−1, and the control (Ck) without treatment, to control P losses in a laboratory batch experiment. The soil solution was analyzed for total P (TP), dissolved reactive P (DRP) and total dissolved P (TDP). Particulate P (PP) and dissolved unreactive P (DURP) were calculated by subtracting DRP from TP and TDP, respectively. The DRP was within a range of 68–98% of TP whereas PP varied in a range of 2–32% of TP and DURP was within a range of 0.1–19% of TP, depending on soil types and different treatments. The addition of PAM at a high rate and Gy together on the soil after BS application reduced the release of TP by 54, 46, and 51% and that of DRP by 61, 49, and 53% for tea, paddy and vegetable soils, respectively. However, the application of BS with PAM alone promoted the release of DRP by 77, 86, 70% for tea, paddy, and vegetable soils, respectively. This study suggests that the synergic application of PAM and Gy on soils after BS addition can be a good strategy to reduce P losses.

We are still challenged to fully understand to what extent controlling irrigation inputs is important for limiting phosphorus (P) losses from paddy soils and how this affects the contribution of dissolved P (DP), particulate P (PP), and colloidal P (Pcoll) fractions in P losses. For this investigation, an internet-based smart irrigation system was developed to precisely implement different irrigation scenarios––flooding irrigation (FI) and two water-saving irrigation (WSI) scenarios of intermittent (II) and controlled irrigation (CI). A simulation experiment was conducted and the concentrations of total P (TP), DP, PP, and Pcoll released to floodwater (FW) and leachate (LW) were determined during a rice season after the addition of different P forms (chemical fertilizer (CP), biogas slurry (BP), and manure (MP)) at a rate of 40 kg P·ha−1. The results revealed that the CI scenario effectively decreased P losses in FW (∼51%) and LW (∼63%) with a positive WSI ratio (39.1%), while II reduced it in FW by ∼11% and in LW by ∼27% with a WSI ratio of 11.0% compared with FI. The BP and MP additions caused a higher risk of P losses than CP under FI, with lower risk under WSI. DP largely contributed to P losses (FW: 30%–71%; LW: 42%–66%); however, more PP was released to FW under II (37%–54% of TP). The Pcoll (FW: 5%–23% and LW: 6%–24%) was more sensitive to release at initial periods after fertilization on account PP. This work provides a promising approach to timely control irrigation inputs, which could limit P losses from paddy soil; however, there remains a need to assess and generalize our initial evidence at field scales.

Agricultural cropping systems involve the application of high fertilizer rates, which lead to phosphorus (P) losses via surface runoff to the aquatic environment, thereby resulting in severe eutrophication. Here, to evaluate the nutrient loss, we established three monitoring stations in Zhejiang Province, China, in each of which the crop types were double cropping rice, rice–wheat rotation, and vegetable cultivation. Field experiments were conducted with four treatments and three replications over a whole planting year. The four treatments at the same P application rate were: 1) no fertilization (control; CK), 2) chemical fertilization (CF), 3) substitution of 30 % chemical P in CF by organic P in solid sheep manure (OF) or in liquid biogas slurry (BS), and 4) substitution of 30 % chemical P in CF by organic P fertilizers (solid sheep manure or liquid biogas slurry) +1.5 t ha−1 polyacrylamide modified BC (PSB). The runoff losses of various P forms, that is, the total P, total dissolved P, particulate P, and colloidal P losses were analyzed. The total P concentration varied greatly with the crop growth stages. Compared with CF treatment, PSB treatment significantly reduced the concentration of P fractions in the runoff in all three cropping systems, while the OF treatment significantly reduced the particulate P and colloidal P concentrations by coating colloidal particles with organic carbon. However, BS treatment increased particulate P and colloidal P concentrations. Compared with CF treatment, PSB treatment reduced total P loss by 41.1 %, 29.7 %, and 37.8 % in the double cropping rice, rice–wheat, and vegetable systems, respectively. The PSB and OF treatments significantly reduced the particulate P and colloidal P losses, while BS treatment increased the loss of various P forms. Compared with the CF treatment, the PSB treatment significantly increased the available P contents by 12.7–85.4 mg kg-1, and decreased the colloidal P contents by 26.7 %–51.4 % in the soils examined. The results of the redundancy analysis confirmed that P loss via runoff was mainly caused by differences in the P inputs and crop types. The results of this study highlight the important role of PSB in reducing P loss via runoff from agricultural cropping systems.

Loss of soil fertility, reduction in soil productivity and water scarcity is the major limitation of rain fed area of Pakistan. Applications of biochar on low fertile and degraded soil enhance soil fertility, nutrients uptake and water retention thus improves soil productivity. Field study was conducted to examine the effect of biochar on biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) by mash bean (Vigna mungo. L), soil nutrients availability and soil water retention. Biochar was applied at 0, 0.25 and 0.5 t ha-1 along with and without chemical fertilizer (20, 50, 50 kg ha-1 NPK) with four replications. Crop was harvested at maturity and soil samples were collected from each experimental plot before sowing and after harvesting and was analyzed for soil ECe, soil pH, total nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, soil infiltration rate, soil aggregate stability, soil water retention and cation exchange capacity (CEC). Biological nitrogen fixation was determined by xylem-sap method and xylem sap was extracted at pod filling stage. Soil treated with biochar @ 0.5 t ha-1+chemical fertilizer (NPK 20, 50, 50 kg ha-1 respectively) showed maximum pH (7.78) and soil electrical conductivity (0.67 ds m-1). Application of biochar and chemical fertilizer to soil (0.5 t ha-1+NPK 20,50,50 kg ha-1) increases total N from 3.9 mg kg-1 to 18 mg kg-1, Phosphorus from 4 mg kg-1 to 18.5 mg kg-1, potassium from 98 mg kg-1 to 143 mg kg-1 and soil CEC from 6.6 Cmolc kg-1 to 11.2 Cmolc kg-1. Biochar @ 0.5 t ha-1 stabilized soil aggregates (34%) and improves soil infiltration rates (164 mm h-1) without impacting any significant effect on soil water retention. Biochar applied @ 0.5 t ha-1 along with chemical fertilizer (NPK 20, 50, 50 kg ha-1 respectively) showed maximum increase in BNF (24 kg N ha-1), biomass yield (2.7 t ha-1) and grain yield (1.8 t ha-1). The study concluded that biochar application (0.5 t ha-1) along with chemical fertilizer increase availability of nutrients (NPK), soil pH and ECe where as sole application of biochar (0.5 t ha-1) promoted aggregation and infiltration rate. The significant increase was observed in case of BNF (40%), grain yield (77%) and biomass yield (64%) of mash bean. It is recommended that biochar application to soil along with chemical fertilizer improve soil productivity and BNF by mash bean.