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Element losses from fields in conventional and conservation tillage in the Atlantic Coastal Plain, Georgia, United States

The elemental composition of soil plays an essential role in crop nutrition, but losses from croplands can negatively impact soil fertility and water quality. We compared the impact of strip tillage (ST) and conventional tillage (CT) on element concentrations and loads in surface runoff and subsurface flow from plots under rotational cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) and peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) production with winter cover cropping. Total element concentrations (calcium [Ca], iron [Fe], potassium [K], magnesium [Mg], manganese [Mn], sodium [Na], phosphorus [P], sulfur [S], silicon [Si], and zinc [Zn]) in surface runoff and subsurface flow samples were measured using Inductively Coupled Plasma with Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES). Element loads were estimated by multiplying the element concentrations by the surface runoff and drainage volumes. Significantly greater (p ≤ 0.05) surface runoff loads for all elements (with the exception of K and Zn) were observed from the CT compared with the ST treatment plots only in 2006, likely due to the combined effects of hydrology and the timing of gypsum amendments that year. Surface runoff was the primary hydrologic pathway for Fe, K, Mn, P, Si, and Zn loss while subsurface flow was the primary hydrologic pathway for Ca, Mg, and S loss with both tillage treatments. Lower concentrations of Ca, Mg, Na, and S in the subsurface flow with ST compared to CT suggest that this tillage practice, in conjunction with the proper timing of fertilizer and soil amendment applications (e.g., poultry litter and gypsum) can be an effective method for reducing element losses from croplands. This finding highlights the importance of conservation practices in sustaining healthy cropland soils while reducing element losses and associated environmental impacts.