The objectives of DESPRAL were:   
   
•	To develop an environmental soil test to determine the potential for sediment and particulate phosphorus (P) detachment from agricultural soils.    
•	To quantify the relative contribution of natural geographic and agricultural management factors determining soil susceptibility to dispersion of 
P-enriched particles from agricultural soils.    
•	To incorporate the environmental soil test into a risk assessment procedure to predict soil and P delivery from critical source areas in catchments with 
diffuse pollution problems.    
•	To identify practical and effective land management options to minimize soil and P transfer in critical source areas at the field and catchment scale. 
   
•	To develop guidelines on assessment and control of soil and phosphorus transfer within catchments in consultation with end-users. 
            

The physical, chemical and mineralogical properties of 26 EU benchmark soils have been determined. Indoor and outdoor rainfall simulation procedures have 
been developed and applied to the benchmark soils (indoor runs), and selected field sites from which the soils were obtained (outdoor runs). Initial comparisons 
of indoor rainfall simulation data and the results form the candidate laboratory dispersion tests suggest simple gentle water dispersion can be used to predict 
soil vulnerability to particle detachment and mobilisation in fields. In addition, the test can differentiate the background dissolved P signal which appears 
to be relatively constant in run-off and independent of the concentration of suspended soil particles. The data suggest a limited effect of agricultural P 
inputs on soil dispersibility, and dispersed particles appear to have considerably modified soil P release properties compared to the bulk soil. However, 
further work is underway to verify these preliminary conclusions. The soil dispersion test therefore has the advantage of detecting those soils which have 
both high dispersibility and a high P release potential. 
            

The aim of the project was to develop simple, user-friendly methodologies for assessing site susceptibility to detachment and transfer of P-enriched particles, 
identifying high soil and P loss risk areas within catchments for targeting of control measures, and developing novel management practices appropriate to 
different site conditions within a locality.   
   
The following publications are available:   
Azazoglu E., P. Strauss, , I. Sisák und W.E.H. Blum (in press): Einfluss der Wasserqualität auf Oberflächenabfluss Bodenabtrag und Infiltration – Ein Beregnungsversuch 
in Ungarn. Mitt.Österr. Bodenk. Gesellsch.   
Azazoglu E., P. Strauss, , I. Sisák, E. Klaghofer und W.E.H. Blum (in press): Einfluss erosiver Niederschläge auf Bodenabtrag, Oberflächenrauhigkeit 
und Scherspannung landwirtschaftlich genutzter Böden. Mitt.Österr. Bodenk. Gesellsch.   
Strauss, P., Barberis, E. Azazoglu. E. Soil erosion and phosphorus losses on low slopes of the Italian Po valley.   
other not public available