Wednesday, November 7, 2007
329-10

Assessment of Grazing Effect on Zn and Cu Concentrations in Soil Solution from Ultisols in Florida.

Ivanka Anguelova and Gueorgui Anguelov. Florida A&M Univ., Tallahassee, FL 32307-4100

Grazing management is important to maximize nutrients use efficiency and reduce losses, especially on sandy soils. The agronomic rate of fertilization is usually recommended to improve grass forage yield and quality. A monitoring program was implemented under a CSREES-funded project to assess among other nutrients the Zn and Cu status in soil solution of a bahiagrass pasture. This study was conducted at the Florida A&M University REC, Quincy on Ultisols of the Orangeburg series, and at the University of Florida Santa Fe Beef Research Center, Alachua on Ultisols of the Millhopper series. Soil solution was sampled from 45 tension (suction cup) lysimeters randomly installed at the depths of 61, 122, and 183 cm. Water samples from rainfall events, groundwater wells, and nearby streams were also collected during the same period of observation. The samples were analyzed for pH, EC, and Zn and Cu concentrations. The Zn and Cu in the water samples are discussed in relation to mobility and leaching possibility. The results indicated that the Zn concentrations in the soil solution varied greatly from a non-detectable level to a maximum of 0.572 and 0.709 mg L-1 for Orangeburg and Millhopper soil series respectively. A tendency for higher soil-solution Zn concentration in comparison to the rain, surface, and underground waters was identified. Although Cu concentrations in this study were low (from bellow the detection limit up to a maximum of 0.11 mg L-1) an attempt was made to find possible relationship and distribution patterns for the detected Cu concentrations.