Environmental chemistry of phosphorus – linkage between watershed and recipient water

Contact learning period on 8.-10. March 2011 
Viikki campus, University of Helsinki, Auditorium D, Latokartanonkaari  11, Helsinki

10.00 – 12.00
short break

Instructions and practical issues

Soil chemistry of phosphorus

• Reaction components in soils: origin and chemical properties
• Specific and non-specific retention of anions
• P reserves in soil and their bioavailability

Feedback of the home work will be discussed 

12.45 -  17.00
Tea/coffee break

 Dynamics of phosphorus exchange between solid and solution phase

• Physico-chemical  factors controlling the P loading risk
• Desorption-sorption  isotherms
• Rationale for selection of analytical methods

9.00-12.00
short breaks

Drainage and runoff generation in areas producing phosphorous load

• Hydraulic properties of soil: hydraulic head, water retention characteristics, Darcy´s law
• Runoff generation mechanisms: hillslope hydrology, infiltration excess overland flow, saturation excess overland flow
• Drainage designs and impacts on runoff generation: open ditch drainage, subsurface drainage, Hooghoudt’s drainage equation
• Results from hydrological studies

12.00 -12.45

Lunch  

12.45 – 16.00
short break

Options to decrease P losses to water along the P transfer continuum

• The source component:
  • P-cycling in Finnish agriculture and different regions
  • trends in P-fertilization, soil test P and the risk for P losses to water
  • the need for P in contemporary plant production and P application strategies
• Immobilization options
• Interception options during transport

16.00-18.00

Get-together buffer at the Restaurant Viikin Kartano (unfortunately there is no English pages for the restaurant)

9.00 – 12.30
short break

Erosion control – process-based options

• Aggregate stability and water infiltration into soil
• Soil porosity, water ‘routes’ in soil
• Soil tillage, crop cover and other agronomical measures to control erosion

Environmentally sound use of manure – new technologies

13.30 – 16.00

Phosphorus dynamics in peat soils and the effects of forestry operations

• Peat soils and their occurrence
• Phosphorus and its cycling in different peat soils
  • Methodological tools to study P questions 
• Options to reduce  P loading from peat and forest  soils