Comparison of Pollutant Load Discharge Characteristics with Fertilizer Treatments from Small Scale Plot

소규모 시험포에서의 비료처리별 오염배출 농도 특성 비교

Organic compost has been widely applied to the cropland because it has been thought as Environmentally Sound Agriculture (ESA) in Korea. In this study, two-year indoor rainfall experiments were performed. Surface runoff and groundwater volume from 10% and 20% slope plots were measured and water quality samples were collected and analyzed for BOD, COD, T-P and T-N. Flow weighted mean concentration (FWMC) values were computed to assess effects of various fertilizer treatments. FWMC BOD values for organic compost treated plots were higher than chemical fertilizer treated plots. FWMC BOD values for 20% slope plots were higher than those from those for 10% slope plots. The similar trends were found for COD and T-P. FWMC T-N values for chemical fertilizer treated plots were higher than organic compost treated plots. FWMC T-N values for 10% slope plots were higher than those for 20% slope plots. In Korea, excessive use of organic compost has caused extremely high levels of organic matter contents at the cropland. Since organic compost is very slow in releasing its nutrients to the soil, farmers usually apply excessive organic compost for immediate effects and maximum crop yields, which has been causing soil and water quality degradations. Therefore, thorough investigations for better nutrient management plans are needed to develop the ESA strategy in Korea.