| A thorough understanding of potential P release from the soil profile is needed for implementing successful P management options such as phytoremediation or evaluating the efficacy of raising or lowering the water-table as a means of reducing P loss from a site. The newly developed tool, the soil P storage capacit (SPSC) can be calculated using easily determined P, Fe and Al from a Mehlich 1 solution. Determination of SPSC on a site-specific basic will allow selection of appropriate BMPs for a given site. SPSC can be used for routine purposes including (but not limited to): 1) prediction of P release from a soil that can be used to project consequences of water-table manipulations for P control, 2) evaluation of the amount P that can be safely applied to a soil before the soil becomes an environmental risk if manure application is based on nitrogen requirements of a crop instead of P requirements, 3) calculation of the amount of an iron or aluminum- based amendment to be added to a soil as a BMP, 4) prediction of reduction in P storage capacity of a soil with time if the P loading to a soil is known, 5) identification of suitable areas for location of animal-based agriculture by selecting soils which have a greater capacity to retain P, 6) verification of the suitability of potential locations for the construction of stormwater treatment areas, and 7) Use SPSC as a replacement of soil test P in the Florida P-Index. |
