Evaluation of methods of nutrient and water management on tea performance and nutrient loss in the Danjiangkou Reservoir area, China

The long-term control of fertilizer pollution in the Danjiangkou Reservoir is an important task, and promoting good fertilizer pollution control methods is necessary to conserve water quality. A 3-year experiment was conducted to evaluate the fertilizer losses, economic benefits, and feasibility of different nutrient and water management methods in the area. The experiment included the following treatments: (1) local recommended fertilizer dose (450, 144, and 189 kg ha^-1 y^-1 of N, P₂O₅, and K₂O) under rain-fed conditions (CK); (2) chicken manure at 7500 kg ha^-1 without drip irrigation (OF); (3) same dosage of treatment OF but with drip irrigation (OFD); and (4) drip fertigation with 30% of the fertilization dose of CK (DF). The results showed that organic fertilizer and drip fertigation treatments reduced total N (TN) and total P (TP) losses compared to CK due to considerably less amounts of N and P nutrient inputs. Total N runoff losses, and TN and TP concentrations in leaching water did not differ significantly among treatments OF, OFD, and DF. Net income among the CK, OF, and OFD treatments did not differ significantly. Treatment DF resulted in 19.5% and 13.8% more net income than CK and OFD, respectively. Such results provided guidance for promotion to maximize benefits and minimize environmental impacts.