Phosphorus‐Based Variable‐Rate Pig Slurry Application Reduces Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Improves Phosphorus Plant Availability

ABSTRACT Excessive or insufficient application of phosphorus (P) fertilisers can lead to soil P build‐up or reduced crop productivity, respectively. Variable‐rate P fertilisation offers a sustainable solution to this challenge. This study compared the efficiency of pig slurry (PgS) as a P fertiliser...

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Main Authors: Catarina Esteves, David Fangueiro, Miguel Martins, Henrique Ribeiro
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2025-03-01
Series:Journal of Sustainable Agriculture and Environment
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/sae2.70037
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author Catarina Esteves
David Fangueiro
Miguel Martins
Henrique Ribeiro
author_facet Catarina Esteves
David Fangueiro
Miguel Martins
Henrique Ribeiro
author_sort Catarina Esteves
collection DOAJ
description ABSTRACT Excessive or insufficient application of phosphorus (P) fertilisers can lead to soil P build‐up or reduced crop productivity, respectively. Variable‐rate P fertilisation offers a sustainable solution to this challenge. This study compared the efficiency of pig slurry (PgS) as a P fertiliser to a mineral P fertiliser (superphosphate, SPP) by evaluating their impacts on soil P availability, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and nutrient leaching in different laboratory experiments. PgS was applied at three increasing rates (R1, R2 and R3) to soils with varying P levels: very low (VL), low (L) or medium (M). A control (CTRL) without P application was included. Results showed PgS was as efficient as, or superior to, SPP in increasing soil extractable P content (1%–104%). Excessive PgS application indicated to soil P build‐up. CO2 emissions were highest with PgS (204.85 mg C kg−1 soil) compared with SPP (171.26 mg C kg−1 soil), though no significant differences in N2O and CH4 emissions were observed. GHG emissions were influenced by original soil P values, with the highest emissions in VL soil (1.36 g CO2‐eq kg−1 soil). Optimal fertilisation (R2 for L soils) minimised emissions (647.56 mg CO2‐eq kg−1 soil). Total P (TP) leaching was exacerbated in our selected sandy soils and increased with higher PgS application (11.95 mg TP kg−1 soil in R3) and higher soil P levels (8.18 mg TP kg−1 soil in soil M). Similar trends were observed for N leaching. This study highlighted PgS as a vial alternative to mineral P fertilisers and underscored the importance of site‐specific variable‐rate P application, to optimise fertiliser efficiency while minimising environmental impacts.
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spelling doaj-art-875e96aace3c4d0c9c908c9dd87fac4e2025-08-20T03:42:23ZengWileyJournal of Sustainable Agriculture and Environment2767-035X2025-03-0141n/an/a10.1002/sae2.70037Phosphorus‐Based Variable‐Rate Pig Slurry Application Reduces Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Improves Phosphorus Plant AvailabilityCatarina Esteves0David Fangueiro1Miguel Martins2Henrique Ribeiro3Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Forest Research Centre (CEF) Universidade de Lisboa Tapada da Ajuda Lisboa PortugalTerra Associate Laboratory Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Agriculture and Food (LEAF) Research Center, Linking Landscape, Environment Universidade de Lisboa Lisboa PortugalTerra Associate Laboratory Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Agriculture and Food (LEAF) Research Center, Linking Landscape, Environment Universidade de Lisboa Lisboa PortugalTerra Associate Laboratory Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Agriculture and Food (LEAF) Research Center, Linking Landscape, Environment Universidade de Lisboa Lisboa PortugalABSTRACT Excessive or insufficient application of phosphorus (P) fertilisers can lead to soil P build‐up or reduced crop productivity, respectively. Variable‐rate P fertilisation offers a sustainable solution to this challenge. This study compared the efficiency of pig slurry (PgS) as a P fertiliser to a mineral P fertiliser (superphosphate, SPP) by evaluating their impacts on soil P availability, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and nutrient leaching in different laboratory experiments. PgS was applied at three increasing rates (R1, R2 and R3) to soils with varying P levels: very low (VL), low (L) or medium (M). A control (CTRL) without P application was included. Results showed PgS was as efficient as, or superior to, SPP in increasing soil extractable P content (1%–104%). Excessive PgS application indicated to soil P build‐up. CO2 emissions were highest with PgS (204.85 mg C kg−1 soil) compared with SPP (171.26 mg C kg−1 soil), though no significant differences in N2O and CH4 emissions were observed. GHG emissions were influenced by original soil P values, with the highest emissions in VL soil (1.36 g CO2‐eq kg−1 soil). Optimal fertilisation (R2 for L soils) minimised emissions (647.56 mg CO2‐eq kg−1 soil). Total P (TP) leaching was exacerbated in our selected sandy soils and increased with higher PgS application (11.95 mg TP kg−1 soil in R3) and higher soil P levels (8.18 mg TP kg−1 soil in soil M). Similar trends were observed for N leaching. This study highlighted PgS as a vial alternative to mineral P fertilisers and underscored the importance of site‐specific variable‐rate P application, to optimise fertiliser efficiency while minimising environmental impacts.https://doi.org/10.1002/sae2.70037greenhouse gas emissionslaboratory‐scale experimentsnutrient leachingpig slurrysoil Pvariable‐rate P application
spellingShingle Catarina Esteves
David Fangueiro
Miguel Martins
Henrique Ribeiro
Phosphorus‐Based Variable‐Rate Pig Slurry Application Reduces Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Improves Phosphorus Plant Availability
Journal of Sustainable Agriculture and Environment
greenhouse gas emissions
laboratory‐scale experiments
nutrient leaching
pig slurry
soil P
variable‐rate P application
title Phosphorus‐Based Variable‐Rate Pig Slurry Application Reduces Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Improves Phosphorus Plant Availability
title_full Phosphorus‐Based Variable‐Rate Pig Slurry Application Reduces Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Improves Phosphorus Plant Availability
title_fullStr Phosphorus‐Based Variable‐Rate Pig Slurry Application Reduces Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Improves Phosphorus Plant Availability
title_full_unstemmed Phosphorus‐Based Variable‐Rate Pig Slurry Application Reduces Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Improves Phosphorus Plant Availability
title_short Phosphorus‐Based Variable‐Rate Pig Slurry Application Reduces Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Improves Phosphorus Plant Availability
title_sort phosphorus based variable rate pig slurry application reduces greenhouse gas emissions and improves phosphorus plant availability
topic greenhouse gas emissions
laboratory‐scale experiments
nutrient leaching
pig slurry
soil P
variable‐rate P application
url https://doi.org/10.1002/sae2.70037
work_keys_str_mv AT catarinaesteves phosphorusbasedvariableratepigslurryapplicationreducesgreenhousegasemissionsandimprovesphosphorusplantavailability
AT davidfangueiro phosphorusbasedvariableratepigslurryapplicationreducesgreenhousegasemissionsandimprovesphosphorusplantavailability
AT miguelmartins phosphorusbasedvariableratepigslurryapplicationreducesgreenhousegasemissionsandimprovesphosphorusplantavailability
AT henriqueribeiro phosphorusbasedvariableratepigslurryapplicationreducesgreenhousegasemissionsandimprovesphosphorusplantavailability