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Water Quality Impacts Associated with Sorghum Culture in the Southern Plains

USDA-ARS, Water Quality and Watershed Research Laboratory, P.O. Box 1430, Durant, OK 74702-1430;

J. R. Williams

USDA-ARS, Grassland, Soil and Water Research Laboratory, Temple, TX 76502;

O. R. Jones

USDA-ARS, Conservation and Production Research Laboratory, P.O. Drawer 10, Bushland, TX 79012;

G. A. Coleman

USDA-ARS, Southern Plains Watershed and Water Quality Laboratory, P.O. Box 400, Chickasha, OK 73018.

^* Corresponding author.

ABSTRACT

Nonpoint-source pollution of surface water by the transport of sediment, N, and P in agricultural runoff is one of the nation's major water quality concerns. Consequently, concentrations and amounts of sediment, N, and P in runoff from Conventional Till (CT), Reduced Till (RT), and No Till (NT), sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench.] watersheds in the Southern Plains, were measured during a 5-yr period to evaluate water quality impacts of sorghum culture. Mean annual sediment and total N and P loss in runoff from NT (281, 0.76, and 0.28 kg ha^–1 yr^–1, respectively) and RT (523, 0.99, and 0.37 kg ha^–1 yr^–1, respectively) were lower than from CT sorghum (8877, 7.28, and 2.5 kg ha^–1 yr^–1, respectively). In contrast, tillage effects on soluble N and P losses were generally small and less consistent, although soluble P concentrations exceeded limits associated with accelerated eutrophication (0.01 mg L^–1). Predicted losses of soluble P and particulate N and P using desorption kinetics and enrichment ratio relationships were not significantly different from measured values for all tillage practices (r² ranged from 0.66 to 0.99). Overall, conservation tillage (NT and RT) reduced sediment, N, and P transport in runoff relative to CT and thereby lessened the potential impact of sorghum culture on surface water quality in the Southern Plains.

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