Phosphorus forms and cycling in conservation cropping systems of the Canadian prairies

加拿大大草原农业生产的可持续性要求施用于土壤的养分能够有效地回收，而不是流失到环境中。对农民来说，肥料也是一项重要的投入成本，提高肥料的使用效率有助于获得更好的经济回报。如今，草原上的种植制度正朝着少耕或免耕的方向发展，更多的土地正在接受动物粪便的施用，土地正在从生产一年生作物转变为饲料。磷在新系统中的形式和转化没有很好的文献记载。生产商报告说，他们对氮肥的需求减少了，一些生产商现在报告说，对添加磷的需求减少了。为了制定更好的施肥和土地利用决策，有必要了解这些保护性耕作系统的磷循环。本研究将确定草原土壤磷的重要储存库及其循环和生物有效性的控制因素。

Sustainability of agricultural production on the Canadian prairies requires that the nutrients that are applied to soils are effectively recycled rather than lost to the environment.  Fertilizers also represent a significant input cost to farmers and greater efficiency in their use contributes to better economic returns.Cropping systems on the prairies today are moving towards reduced or zero-tillage, more land is receiving application of animal manures, and land is being converted from production of annual crops into forages.  The forms and transformations of phosphorus in the new systems is not well documented.  Producers have reported less need for nitrogen fertilizer and some are now reporting less requirement for added phosphorus.  To make better fertilization and land use decisions it is necessary to understand the phosphorus cycle in these conservation - oriented cropping systems.The research will identify the important pools of soil phosphorus present and factors controlling their turnover and bioavailability in prairie landscapes.