TITLE:
Runoff Water Quality Assessment from Furrow-Irrigated Rice Treated with Poultry Litter
AUTHORS:
Diego Della Lunga, Eric Simon, Mike Daniels, Kris Brye, Lee Riley, James Burke, Jace Clark
KEYWORDS:
Land Leveling, Soil Erosion, Nutrient Budgets
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Environmental Protection,
Vol.17 No.3,
March
5,
2026
ABSTRACT: Poultry litter (PL) has been suggested as a soil amendment to enhance soil fertility and general soil health in intensively cultivated agroecosystems. However, continuous annual land application of PL can lead to excess nutrients that may run off and contaminate local water bodies. The impact of PL on nutrient runoff in furrow-irrigated rice (Oryza sativa) systems in Arkansas is currently understudied. The objectives of this study were i) to assess trends and magnitude of nutrient concentrations and loads [i.e., nitrate (
NO
3
−
) and nitrite (
NO
2
−
), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), soluble-reactive phosphorus (SRP), potassium (K), total suspended solids (TSS), and sulfate (
SO
4
2−
)] in runoff water, ii) to determine the relationship between nutrient runoff and rainfall events, and iii) to evaluate nutrient budgets (i.e., P and K) for a previously land-leveled, furrow-irrigated rice system in northeast Arkansas between 2022 and 2024. The numeric peak
NO
3
−
+
NO
2
−
(6.9 mg∙L−1) and TN (22.9 mg∙L−1) runoff concentrations occurred on 13 June 2022; the numeric peak
SO
4
2−
(39 mg∙L−1) runoff concentration occurred on 12 June 2023; and the numeric peak SRP (3.5 mg∙L−1), TP (4.3 mg∙L−1), and K (36 mg∙L−1) runoff concentrations occurred right after rice harvest on 31 October 2022. Regression models describing the relationship between runoff concentration and total rainfall between sampling dates were significant (P i.e.,
NO
3
−
+
NO
2
−
, TN, TP, SRP, K,
SO
4
2−
, and TSS). Phosphorus and K budgets were associated with nutrient accumulation in the topsoil, although large variability occurred between years. The organic matter accumulation over time from PL additions can represent an effective management benefit to enhance soil health. Future studies should assess PL application rates and application timing to enhance crop productivity while limiting environmental risks.