Phosphorus Status and Risk of Phosphate Leaching Loss From Vegetable Soils of Different Planting Years in Suburbs of Changsha, China

The aim of the study was to develop an index to assess the environmental risk of P loss potential in vegetable soils with chronic difference of plantation in the suburbs of Changsha, Hunan Province, China. Chemical methodology was used to study soil phosphorus status and the relationships between available P in soil and potential soil leaching P. The results showed that there was a significant linear relationship between Olsen P and CaCl2-P or P concentration in soil solution. Olsen P increased sharply when either CaCl2-P or P concentration in soil solution reached a certain level. It was confirmed that 80 mg kg(-1) of Olsen P was the critical value of soil P leaching in the vegetable soils. P leaching probability over the critical was assessed by GIS and indicator Kriging and four secondary risks of phosphorus leaching loss were defined. In the area with vegetable cropping for over 30 yr (Chenjiadu) and 10-15 planting years (Huangxingzhen), the indices of phosphorus leaching loss risk were 3 and 2.93, respectively. These two areas belonged to strong secondary of risk of phosphate leaching loss. In the new vegetable planting field less than 2 yr (Ningxiang), the index was 0.06, which had almost no risk of phosphorus leaching. In vegetable soils in the suburban region of Changsha, the phosphorus leaching peotential is high and the phosphorus leaching loss is related to chronic length of vegetable cropping.