Winter Phosphorus Release in Cover Crops with Dr. Merrin Macrae
\u201cWinter Phosphorus Release from Cover Crops and Linkages with Runoff Chemistry\u201d with Dr. Merrin Macrae
Cover crops can offer a variety of ecosystem services, including reducing soil erosion. However, in colder climates, where cover crops can freeze and die over the winter, there is the possibility that the Phosphorus within cover crops can then leach into surface runoff. Dr. Merrin Macrae and her team decided to dive deep and discover whether or not this trade-off exists and, if so, to what extent.
Listen to learn:
- What do Nalgene bottles and ping pong balls have to do with research?
- What is it like to do field research in the winter?
- How can Twitter lead to working research relationships with farmers?
- Which factors contribute most to surface P runoff?
If you would like more information about this topic, this episode\u2019s paper is available here: https://doi.org/10.2134/jeq2018.08.0307\xa0
This paper is always freely available.
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If you would like to reach out to Merrin, you can find her here:
mmacrae@uwaterloo.ca
Twitter: @merrinm
Resources
CEU Quiz: http://www.agronomy.org/education/classroom/classes/817\xa0
Intro to the Special Section from the Journal of Environmental Quality: Agricultural Water Quality in Cold Environments, \u201cAgricultural Water Quality in Cold Climates: Processes, Drivers, Management Options, and Research Needs\u201d: dx.doi.org/10.2134/jeq2019.05.0220
\u201cAgricultural Water Quality in Cold Climates: Processes, Drivers, Management Options, and Research Needs\u201d: dx.doi.org/10.2134/jeq2019.05.0220
Papers from Merrin\u2019s Masters students James Cober and Tatianna Lozier:
\u201cNutrient Release from Living and Terminated Cover Crops Under Variable Freeze\u2013Thaw Cycles\u201d: dx.doi.org/10.2134/agronj2017.08.0449
\xa0\u201cRelease of phosphorus from crop residue and cover crops over the non-growing season in a cool temperate region\u201d: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0378377417301579
\u201cPotential phosphorus mobilization from above-soil winter vegetation assessed from laboratory water extractions following freeze\u2013thaw cycles\u201d: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/07011784.2017.1331140
Other papers from this team:
Agricultural Water Futures Project: https://uwaterloo.ca/agricultural-water-futures/
\u201cImpacts of Cover Crops and Crop Residues on Phosphorus Losses in Cold Climates: A Review\u201d review article from Jian Liu: dx.doi.org/10.2134/jeq2019.03.0119
Papers from Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Environment Canada:
\u201cEvaluating the potential contribution of vegetation as a nutrient source in snowmelt runoff\u201d: https://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/full/10.4141/cjss2012-050#.Xd2KSehKhhF
\u201cCritical Factors Affecting Field-Scale Losses of Nitrogen and Phosphorus in Spring Snowmelt Runoff in the Canadian Prairies\u201d: dx.doi.org/10.2134/jeq2012.0385
European and Nordic Papers:
\u201cFreezing\u2013thawing effects on phosphorus leaching from catch crops\u201d: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10705-014-9615-z
\u201cFreeze\u2013Thaw Effects on Phosphorus Loss in Runoff from Manured and Catch-Cropped Soils\u201d: dx.doi.org/10.2134/jeq2004.0415
Field, Lab, Earth is copyrighted to the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America.