Phosphorus plant removal from European agricultural land

AbstractPhosphorus (P) is an important nutrient for all plant growth and it has become a critical and often imbalanced element in modern agriculture. A proper crop fertilization is crucial for production, farmer profits, and also for ensuring sustainable agriculture. The European Commission has published the Farm to Fork (F2F) Strategy in May 2020, in which the reduction of the use of fertilizers by at least 20% is among one of the main objectives. Therefore, it is important to look for the optimal use of P in order to reduce its pollution effects but also ensure future agricultural production and food security. It is essential to estimate the P budget with the best available data at the highest possible spatial resolution. In this study, we focused on estimating the P removal from soils by crop harvest and removal of crop residues. Specifically, we attempted to estimate the P removal by taking into account the production area and productivity rates of 37 crops for 220 regions in the European Union (EU) and the UK. To estimate the P removal by crops, we included the P concentrations in plant tissues (%), the crop humidity rates, the crop residues production, and the removal rates of the crop residues. The total P removal was about 2.55 million tonnes (Mt) (± 0.23 Mt), with crop harvesting having the larger contribution (ca. 94%) compared to the crop residues removal. A Monte-Carlo analysis estimated a ± 9% uncertainty. In addition, we performed a projection of P removal from agricultural fields in 2030. By providing this picture, we aim to improve the current P balances in the EU and explore the feasibility of F2F objectives

Micro- and Nanoplastic Analysis in Soils

MP and NP particles in soils can be analyzed by wet chemical sample preparation, FTIR microscopy and STXM to investigate their occurrence and fate in the environment

Assessing the phosphorus cycle in European agricultural soils: Looking beyond current national phosphorus budgets

Phosphorus (P) is an essential nutrient for all crops, yet its excess negatively affects public health, the environment, and the economy. At the same time, rock P is a critical raw material due to its importance for food production, the finite geological deposits, and its unequal regional distribution. As a consequence, nutrient management is addressed by numerous environmental policies. Process-based biogeochemical models are valuable instruments to monitor the P cycle and predict the effect of agricultural management policies. In this study, we upscale the calibrated DayCent model at European level using data-derived soil properties, advanced input data sets, and representative management practices. Our results depicted a P budget with an average P surplus (0.11 kg P ha−1 year−1), a total soil P (2240.0 kg P ha−1), and available P content (77.4 kg P ha−1) consistent with literature and national statistics. Through agricultural management scenarios, we revealed a range of potential changes in the P budget by 2030 and 2050, influenced by the interlink of P with biogeochemical carbon and nitrogen cycles. Thus, we developed a powerful assessment tool capable of i) identifying areas with P surplus or deficit at high spatial resolution of 1 km2, (ii) pinpointing areas where a change in agricultural management would be most urgent to reach policy goals in terms of environmental pollution, food security and resource efficiency of a critical raw material, and iii) assessing the response of the P cycle to modifications in agricultural management.ISSN:0048-9697ISSN:1879-102

Exploring Key Soil Parameters Relevant to Arsenic and Cadmium Accumulation in Rice Grain in Southern China

Paddy soils in some areas of southern China are contaminated by arsenic (As) and cadmium (Cd), threatening human health via the consumption of As- and/or Cd-tainted rice. To date, a quantitative understanding of how soil characteristics control As and Cd accumulation in rice grains under field conditions is still deficient. Based on 31 paired soil-grain samples collected in southern China, we statistically explored which soil parameter or parameter combination from various soil analyses best estimates As and Cd in rice. We found that CaCl2 extraction of field-moist soil collected at rice harvest provided the best estimation (R2adj = 0.47–0.60) for grain Cd followed by dry soil CaCl2 extraction (R2adj = 0.38–0.49), where CaCl2 extractable Cd from moist or dry soil was the dominant soil parameter. Compared to soil totals, parameters from neither dry soil ascorbate-citrate extraction nor anoxic soil incubation improved model performance for grain As (R2adj ≤ 0.44), despite their closer relevance to soil redox conditions during plant As uptake. A key role of soil-available sulfur in controlling grain As was suggested by our models. Our approach and results may help develop potential soil amendment strategies for decreasing As and/or Cd accumulation from soils

Exploring Key Soil Parameters Relevant to Arsenic and Cadmium Accumulation in Rice Grain in Southern China

Paddy soils in some areas of southern China are contaminated by arsenic (As) and cadmium (Cd), threatening human health via the consumption of As-and/or Cd-tainted rice. To date, a quantitative understanding of how soil characteristics control As and Cd accumulation in rice grains under field conditions is still deficient. Based on 31 paired soil-grain samples collected in southern China, we statistically explored which soil parameter or parameter combination from various soil analyses best estimates As and Cd in rice. We found that CaCl2 extraction of field-moist soil collected at rice harvest provided the best estimation (R2adj = 0.47–0.60) for grain Cd followed by dry soil CaCl2 extraction (R2adj = 0.38–0.49), where CaCl2 extractable Cd from moist or dry soil was the dominant soil parameter. Compared to soil totals, parameters from neither dry soil ascorbate-citrate extraction nor anoxic soil incubation improved model performance for grain As (R2adj ≤ 0.44), despite their closer relevance to soil redox conditions during plant As uptake. A key role of soil-available sulfur in controlling grain As was suggested by our models. Our approach and results may help develop potential soil amendment strategies for decreasing As and/or Cd accumulation in soils