Minutes 1st meeting Working Group 1 - COST action 832 'Phosphorus inputs of agriculture', Greenmount College, Antrim Northern Ireland, June 15-16, 1998

Minutes 1^st meeting Working Group 1 - COST action 832 'Phosphorus inputs of agriculture', Greenmount College, Antrim Northern Ireland, June 15-16, 1998

Participants

1. Mentler	Austria	17. Ehlert	Netherlands
2. Spiegel	Austria	18. Schils	Netherlands
3. Destain	Belgium	19. Hoel	Norway
4. Hofman	Belgium	20. Krogstad	Norway
5. Rubaek	Denmark	21. Filipek	Poland
6. Siimes	Finland	22. Igvas	Poland
7. Peltovuori	Finland	23. Borlan	Spain
8. Leinweber	Germany	24. Leiros de la Pena	Spain
9. Eichler	Germany	25. Trasar Cepeda	Spain
10. Karyotis	Greece	26. Otabbong	Sweden
11. Panagopoulos	Greece	27. Flisch	Switzerland
12. Csatho	Hungary	28. Frossard	Switzerland
13. Carlton	Ireland	29. Neyroud	Switzerland
14. Coulter	Ireland	30. Smith	United-Kingdom
15. Rossi	Italy	31. Higgs	United-Kingdom
16. Indiati	Italy	32. Power	United-Kingdom

Agenda

Monday 15^th June

09.00 - 9.30	Registration
09.30 - 10.00	Plenary session - Introduction to COST 832 by the President, Paul Withers
10.00 - 12.30	Working group session - Technical aspects of WG1 by the co-ordinator, J.P. Destain - Introduction of participants - Objectives of WG1 by the co-ordinator, J.P. Destain
12.30 - 14.00	Lunch
14.00 - 18.00	Working group discussion on four topics with introduction by participants - Soil P diagnosis (G. Hofman, J.P. Destain, R. Indiati) - P fertiliser recommendations (P. Ehlert, K. Siimes, K. Smith) - Efficiency of fertiliser P (E. Frossard, K. Siimes) - Balance of P, (K. Filipek, P. Leinweber, K. Iserman)

Tuesday 16^th June

08.30 - 10.00	Working group session - development of workplans
10.00 - 12.15	Plenary session - presentation of workplans by the co-ordinators, final Discussions
12.15	Lunch

Objectives of the Meeting

The objectives of the COST 832 action are:

development of common technical understanding of the processes, forms and pathways of P loss in land run-off, and
development of methodological framework for identifying the relative contribution of different diffuse P sources at the farm and catchment level.

These aims will be achieved through definition of conceptual models of P cycling in EU agricultural systems, P transfer in surface and sub-surface run-off at a range of scales and impacts of diffuse P on surface water quality.

Key subject areas include terminology, sampling and analytical procedures, principles of fertiliser and feed recommendations, soil inorganic and organic P release, erosion, leaching, incidental loss, P loss risk assessment, hydrological pathways, scaling issues, approaches to modelling P loss, and future research needs.

The main objective of WG1 'Phosphorus inputs of Agriculture' is to uniform decision support systems for phosphorus inputs in different farming systems. WG1 discussed the main objective and concluded that also the outputs from agriculture should be taken into account. Four topics have been identified to meet the objective. The following topics have been discussed and accepted.

Soil-P diagnosis
P fertiliser recommendations and plant needs
Efficiency of fertiliser P (including organic manure P) and feed recommendations
Balance of P

A fifth topic 'How to limit enrichment and losses of P' has been identified as a topic of WG2.

Each topic has been discussed, resulting in the following key subjects and objectives have been derived.

Topic 1. Soil-P diagnosis
Key subjects:

Analytical methods of determination of plant-available P and means for standardisation and comparison. The results of a first inventarisation are summarised in the appendix and will be completed in near future.
Analytical methods for soil-P to establish the risk for the environment of P inputs.
Soil sampling methods and sampling schemes.
Soil sample exchange of standard soil samples to identify differences between P fertiliser recommendations and to identify gaps between agronomically required and environmentally acceptable P inputs and P outputs.
Identify European areas were soils are P-saturated.

Objectives

Inventarisation of methods of soil testing for P and fertiliser recommendation schemes.
Identification of gaps between agronomically required fertilisation and environmentally acceptable fertilisation.

Topic 2. P fertiliser recommendations and plant needs

Key subjects:

Fertiliser recommendation schemes in European countries;
Conceptual approach of soil-P test;
Concepts of calibration of P fertiliser recommendations in relation to the agricultural systems;
System analysis to increase the bioavailability of soil P (alley cropping)

Objectives

Identify whether soil-P testing can be used for determining the agronomic needs as well as compliance with environmental targets.
Develop calibration methods that meet agronomic needs and allow for tuning to environmental standards.

Topic 3. Efficiency of fertiliser P (including organic manure P) and feed recommendations

WG1 discussed key subjects on the efficiency of P from fertilisers and manures and registered the lack of a discussion on the efficiency of P in animal feed.

Key subjects:

Efficiency of mineral P fertilisers and P from manures and organic soil amendments.
Methods for increasing P efficiency from different P sources.
Relationships of P with other nutrients (N).

Objectives

Develop strategies that increase P efficiency of P sources.
Identify strategies that are available for increasing the efficiency of P from fertilisers and manures and identification of strategies that show perspective but need further development

Topic 4. Balance of P
Key subjects:

Methods for determining P balance sheets (Parkon model, surface balance approach (partial or complete balance sheets).
P soil tests and their relation to P balance sheets.
P balance sheets and their scales (field, farm, region, country).

Objectives

Inventarisation of current P balance sheet methods.
Identification of uncertainties related to inputs and outputs.
To discuss and to assess how inputs and outputs can be brought into balance.

The four topics will be discussed in more detail in the future. The next meeting of WG1 in May 1999 will be prepared by a technical committee consisting of Messrs. Destain, Ehlert, Iserman, Leinweber, Mentler and Neyroud. A meeting of the technical committee is scheduled for October 1998.

Table. Methods of soil analyses for P used in European countries

Country	P test	Method (soil:solution ratio)	Reference
Austria	CAL	1:20 (w/v) 0.05 M calcium lactate + 0.05 M calcium acetate + 0.3 M acetic acid, pH 4.1, 2 h shaking	Schüller, 1969
	DL	1:50 (w/v), 0.02 m calcium lactate + 0.02 M hydrochloric acid, pH 3.7, 1 h shaking	Egnér and Riehm, 1955
	Water	1:20 (w/v) extraction with water	¹
Belgium	AL	1:20 (w/v) with 0.1 M ammonium lactate + 0.2 M acetic acid, pH 3.75, 2 h shaking	Egnér et al., 1960
	EDTA-Ac	1:5 (w/v), 0.5 N ammonium acetate + 0.002 M EDTA, pH 4.65, 0.5 h shaking	Cottenie et al., 1979
Denmark	Olsen	1 : 20 (w/v), 0.5 M sodium acetate, pH 8.5, 1 h shaking	Olsen et al, 1954
Finland	Morgan	6.5:30 (v/v), sodium acetate, pH 4.8., 0.5 h shaking	Morgan, 1994
Germany	CAL	1:20 (w/v) 0.05 M calcium lactate + 0.05 M calcium acetate + 0.3 M acetic acid, pH 4.1, 2 h shaking	Schüller, 1969
	DL	1:50 (w/v), 0.02 m calcium lactate + 0.02 M hydrochloric acid, pH 3.7, 1 h shaking	Egnér and Riehm, 1955
Greece	Bray-1	1:7 (w/v) 0.03 M ammonium fluoride + 0.0125 M HCl, 1 min shaking	Bray & Kurtz, 1945
	Olsen	1 : 20 (w/v), 0.5 M sodium acetate, pH 8.5, 1 h shaking	Olsen et al, 1954
Hungary	AL	1:20 (w/v) with 0.1 M ammonium lactate + 0.2 M acetic acid, pH 3.75, 2 h shaking	Egnér et al., 1960
Ireland	Morgan	6.5:30 (v/v), acidified sodium acetate, pH 4.8., 0.5 h shaking	Morgan, 1994
Italy	Bray-1	1:7 (w/v) 0.03 M ammonium fluoride + 0.0125 M HCl, 1 min shaking	Bray & Kurtz, 1945
	Olsen	1 : 20 (w/v), 0.5 M sodium acetate, pH 8.5, 1 h shaking	Olsen et al, 1954
Netherlands	Water	1:60 (v/v) with water at 20 C, 22 h incubation, 1 h shaking	Sissingh, 1971
	Water	1:2 (v/v) water, 20 minutes shaking	Sonneveld et al., 1990
	AL	1:20 (w/v) with 0.1 M ammonium lactate + 0.2 M acetic acid, pH 3.75, 2 h shaking	Egnér et al., 1960
	CaCl₂	1:10 (w/v) with 0.01 M calcium chloride, 2 h shaking	Houba et al, 1994
Norway	AL	1:20 (w/v) with 0.1 M ammonium lactate + 0.2 M acetic acid, pH 3.75, 2 h shaking	Egnér et al., 1960
	DL	1:50 (w/v), 0.02 m calcium lactate + 0.02 M hydrochloric acid, pH 3.7, 1 h shaking	Egnér and Riehm, 1955
Poland	CaCl₂	1:10 (w/v) with 0.01 M calcium chloride, 2 h shaking	Houba et al, 1994
	DL	1:50 (w/v), 0.02 m calcium lactate + 0.02 M hydrochloric acid, pH 3.7, 1 h shaking	Egnér and Riehm, 1955
	Olsen	1 : 20 (w/v), 0.5 M sodium acetate, pH 8.5, 1 h shaking	Olsen et al, 1954
Romania	AL	1:20 (w/v) with 0.1 M ammonium lactate + 0.2 M acetic acid, pH 3.75, 2 h shaking	Egnér et al., 1960
	MoCa	ammoniummolybdate¹ in calcium chloride, pH 4.3	¹
Spain	Bray-1	1:7 (w/v) 0.03 M ammonium fluoride + 0.0125 M HCl, 1 min shaking	Bray & Kurtz, 1945
	Olsen	1 : 20 (w/v), 0.5 M sodium acetate, pH 8.5, 1 h shaking	Olsen et al, 1954
Sweden	AL	1:20 (w/v) with 0.1 M ammonium lactate + 0.2 M acetic acid, pH 3.75, 2 h shaking	Egnér et al., 1960
Switzerland	AmAc	ammonium acetate	¹
	Water	1:10 (w/v) with CO₂-enriched water	¹
	Water	¹	¹
United Kingdom	Olsen	1 : 20 (w/v), 0.5 M sodium acetate, pH 8.5, 1 h shaking	Olsen et al, 1954
	Anion- exchange	¹	¹

^{1 Information follows}