Soil phosphorus buffering measures should not be adjusted for current phosphorus fertility

Soil Research ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 46 (8) ◽  
pp. 676 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. L. Burkitt ◽  
P. W. G. Sale ◽  
C. J. P. Gourley
Keyword(s):  
Agricultural Soils ◽  
Soil Phosphorus ◽  
Single Point ◽  
Sorption Isotherms ◽  
Phosphorus Sorption ◽  
Soil P ◽  
P Sorption ◽  
P Concentration ◽  
Extractable P ◽  
Fertiliser Application

Soil phosphorus (P) sorption is an important and relatively stable soil property which dictates the equilibrium between sorbed and solution P. Soil P sorption measures are commonly adjusted for the effect of current P fertility on the amount of P a soil sorbs. In the case of highly fertilised agricultural soils, however, this adjustment is likely to be inappropriate as it may mask changes in a soil’s capacity to sorb P, which could affect future P fertiliser applications. A study was undertaken to compare adjusted or unadjusted methods of measuring P sorption using 9 pasture soils sampled from southern Victoria which had previously received P fertiliser and lime. The P sorption assessment methods included: P sorption isotherms, P-buffering capacity (PBC) measures (slope between equilibrium P concentration of 0.25 and 0.35 mg P/L), and single-point P-buffering indices (PBI), with methods either adjusted or unadjusted for current P fertility. A single application of 280 kg P/ha, 6 months before sampling, resulted in a general negative displacement of unadjusted P sorption isotherm curves, indicating reduced P sorption on 8 of the 9 soils. Adding the Colwell extractable P concentration to the amount of P sorbed before calculating the slope (PBC+ColP), tended to negate this fertiliser effect and, in 2 of the 9 soils, resulted in a significant increase in PBC+ColP values. Increasing rates of P fertiliser application (up to 280 kg P/ha) resulted in a consistent trend to decreasing PBI values (unadjusted for Colwell P), which was significant at 4 of the 9 sites after 6 months. However, only minimal changes in PBI values were determined when PBI was adjusted for current P fertility (PBI+ColP). Phosphorus sorption properties appeared reasonably stable over time, although 2 soils, both Ferrosols, indicated significant linear increases in PBI values when these sites remained unfertilised for 30 months. Lime significantly increased both PBI and PBI+ColP values at all sites 6 months after application, but the effect generally diminished after 30 months, suggesting PBI measurements should not be taken immediately after liming. These results demonstrate that unadjusted measures of P sorption are more likely to accurately reflect changes in soil P sorption capacity following P fertiliser applications and suggest that the unadjusted PBI be used in commercial soil testing rather that the currently adjusted PBI+ColP.

A simple phosphorus buffering index for Australian soils

Soil Research ◽  
2002 ◽  
Vol 40 (3) ◽  
pp. 497 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. L. Burkitt ◽  
P. W. Moody ◽  
C. J. P. Gourley ◽  
M. C. Hannah
Keyword(s):  
Initial Data ◽  
Soil Properties ◽  
Soil Property ◽  
Agricultural Soils ◽  
Single Point ◽  
Phosphorus Sorption ◽  
Data Set ◽  
P Sorption ◽  
Extractable P ◽  
Single Addition

Soil phosphorus (P) buffering capacity (PBC) is an important soil property that influences the amount of P fertiliser available for plant uptake. However, current methods of determining PBC are time-consuming and uneconomic in most commercial soil testing programs. The current study examined simpler methods of measuring the PBC of a wide range of Australian soils. Phosphorus sorption and extractable P data from 290 soils (initial data set) were collated to define the range of PBC values of Australian agricultural soils. Independently, detailed chemical and physical analyses were undertaken on a second set of 90 agricultural soils (principal data set), which were selected to represent the range of soil properties measured on the initial data set. Relationships between PBCO&S (Ozanne and Shaw 1968) values (P sorbed between solution P concentrations of 0.25 and 0.35 mg P/L) and 11 different single-point P sorption indices and selected soil properties were examined for the principal data set. Whilst relationships between PBCO&S values and selected soil properties such as oxalate-extractable iron and aluminium, and clay content, were generally poor, strong relationships existed between all of the single-point P sorption indices and PBCO&S. Results suggest that PBCO&S values were most closely related to the P buffering indices (PBI+ColP and PBI+OlsP) when a single addition of 1000 mg P/kg was added to soil and either the Colwell or 4.59 Olsen extractable P were added to the amount of P sorbed: PBI+ColP = (Ps + Colwell P)/c0.41 PBI+OlsP = (Ps + 4.59 Olsen P)/c0.41 where Ps is the amount of P sorbed (mg P/kg) from a single addition of 1000 mg P/kg, and c is the resulting solution P concentration (mg P/L). This index provides a simple and accurate method for estimating PBC, a fundamental soil property that influences the P fertiliser requirements of different soil types. phosphorus sorption capacity, single-point phosphorus sorption index, phosphorus retention index, soil properties, Colwell phosphorus, Olsen phosphorus.

Factors affecting the change in extractable phosphorus following the application of phosphatic fertiliser on pasture soils in southern Victoria

Soil Research ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 759 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. L. Burkitt ◽  
C. J. P. Gourley ◽  
P. W. G. Sale ◽  
N. C. Uren ◽  
M. C. Hannah
Keyword(s):  
Soil Properties ◽  
Organic Carbon Content ◽  
Single Superphosphate ◽  
Soil P ◽  
Olsen P ◽  
P Sorption ◽  
P Concentration ◽  
Extractable P ◽  
Fertiliser Application ◽  
High Organic Carbon Content

Nine pasture soils from high rainfall zones of southern Victoria were analysed for a range of chemical and physical properties before receiving a single application of P fertiliser in the form of triple superphosphate (TSP), single superphosphate (SSP), or TSP and lime (5 t/ha) at amounts ranging from 0 to 280 kg P/ha. Soils were analysed for bicarbonate-extractable P concentration, using both the Olsen P and Colwell P methods, 6 and 12 months after fertiliser application. A strong positive linear relationship existed at all sites between the amount of P applied and both the Olsen P and Colwell P concentrations. The slopes of these relationships measured the change in extractable P concentration (Δ EP) per unit of P applied, whilst the inverse of the ΔEP value indicated the amount of P fertiliser required above maintenance to increase the extractable P concentration by 1 mg/kg. These values ranged from 5 to 15 kg P/ha, depending on soil type. The ΔEP measured by the Olsen (Δ EP Olsen ) method was closely related to selected soil properties and P sorption measures, whilst the ΔEPColwell values were also closely related to selected soil properties and P sorption measures, but only when one particular site, an acidic sand, with a high organic carbon content was excluded from the analysis. In general, simple, direct measures of soil P sorption could allow the estimation of ΔEP values on different soil types. The application of P in the form of SSP resulted in a trend for higher ΔEP values than occurred with TSP. This difference was significant on 3 sites (P < 0.05), but depended on the method of extraction and the time after fertiliser application. The application of lime significantly (P < 0.001) increased soil pH (H2 O and CaCl 2 ) and decreased the concentration of exchangeable Al, 6 months after treatments were applied, but generally had little impact on ΔEP values.

Interpretation of a single-point P buffering index for adjusting critical levels of the Colwell soil P test

Soil Research ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 55 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. W. Moody
Keyword(s):  
Buffer Capacity ◽  
Soil Phosphorus ◽  
Single Point ◽  
Maximum Yield ◽  
P Value ◽  
P Availability ◽  
Soil P ◽  
P Concentration ◽  
Soil P Test ◽  
Rate Of Increase

Soil phosphorus (P) buffer capacity is the change in the quantity of sorbed P required per unit change in solution P concentration. Because P availability to crops is mainly determined by solution P concentration, as P buffer capacity increases, so does the quantity of P required to maintain a solution P concentration that is adequate for crop demand. Bicarbonate-extractable P using the Colwell method is the most common soil P test used in Australia, and Colwell-P can be considered to estimate P quantity. Therefore, as P buffer capacity increases, the Colwell-P concentration required for maximum yield also increases. Data from several published and unpublished studies are used to derive relationships between the ‘critical’ Colwell-P value (Colwell-P at 90% maximum yield) and the single-point P buffer index (PBI) for annual medics, soybean, potato, wheat, and temperate pasture. The rate of increase in critical Colwell-P with increasing PBI increases in the order: temperate pasture < medics < wheat < potato. Indicative critical Colwell-P values are given for the 5 crops at each of the PBI categories used to describe soil P buffer capacity as it increases from extremely low to very high.

Phosphorus sorption - desorption by purple soils of China in relation to their properties

Soil Research ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 45 (3) ◽  
pp. 182 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Li ◽  
Y. L. Hou ◽  
B. Zhu
Keyword(s):  
Binding Energy ◽  
Single Point ◽  
Phosphorus Sorption ◽  
Soil P ◽  
P Sorption ◽  
Desorption Curve ◽  
Degree Of P Saturation ◽  
Soil Test P ◽  
Sorption Index ◽  
Water Eutrophication

The understanding of phosphorus (P) sorption and desorption by soil is important for better managing soil P source and relieving water eutrophication. In this study, sorption–desorption behaviour of P was investigated in purple soils, collected from 3 kinds of purple parent materials with different kinds of land cover, in the upper reaches of Yangtze River, China, using a batch equilibrium technique. Results showed that most of the farmed purple soils had P sorption capacity (PSC) values ranging from 476 to 685 mg P/kg, while higher PSC values were observed in the soils from forestland and paddy field. A single-point P sorption index (PSI) was found to be significantly correlated with PSC (R2 = 0.94, P < 0.001), suggesting its use in estimating PSC across different types of purple soils. The PSC of purple soils was positively and strongly related to the contents of amorphous Fe and Al oxides (r = 0.73, P < 0.001), clay (r = 0.55, P < 0.01), and organic matter (r = 0.50, P < 0.05). Furthermore, the constant relating to binding strength was positively correlated with the content of amorphous Fe and Al oxides (r = 0.66, P < 0.01), but negatively correlated with labile Ca (r = –0.43, P < 0.05) and soil pH (r = –0.53, P < 0.01). Some acidic purple soils with high binding energy featured a power desorption curve, suggesting that P release risk can be accelerated once the P sorbed exceeds a certain threshold. Other soils with low binding energy demonstrated a linear desorption curve. The P desorption percentage was significantly correlated with soil test P (r = 0.78, P < 0.01) and the degree of P saturation (r = 0.82, P < 0.01), but negatively correlated with PSC (r = –0.66, P < 0.01).

Phosphorus sorption-desorption by some sediments of the Johnstone Rivers catchment, northern Queensland

1992 ◽  
Vol 43 (6) ◽  
pp. 1535 ◽  
Author(s):  
C Pailles ◽  
PW Moody
Keyword(s):  
Equilibrium Solution ◽  
Buffer Capacity ◽  
Sea Water ◽  
Phosphorus Sorption ◽  
Constant Amount ◽  
Inorganic P ◽  
P Sorption ◽  
P Concentration ◽  
Extractable P ◽  
Water Columns

Phosphorus (P) sorption-desorption characteristics were determined for 11 sediments from the Johnstone Rivers catchment, northern Queensland. Sediments were selected to cover a range in values of Bray extractable P from 0.1 to 10.4 mg P kg-1. P sorption curves were determined by using 0.01 M NaCl to simulate fluvial water conditions and, on a restricted number of sediments, 0.5 M NaCl to simulate sea water. The amounts of P released in 10 successive extractions for 30 min with 0.01 M CaCl2 were determined for each sediment. The amounts of P desorbed either declined to nondetectable levels or declined to a constant amount. These desorption curves were used to delineate 'rapidly desorbable' P from 'slowly desorbable' P. Bray extractable P and adsorption characteristics (equilibrium solution P concentration and P buffer capacity) were poorly correlated with 'rapidly desorbable' P. Most sediments in the suite would act as P sinks in both fluvial and marine environments because their equilibrium P concentrations are lower than the dissolved inorganic P concentrations of their respective water columns. For those sediments acting as potential sources (5 from 11 in 0.01 M NaC1, 2 from 6 in 0.5 M NaCl), amounts of P that could potentially be desorbed into the fluvial water column ranged from 0.1 to 3.9 mg P kg-1 sediment.

scholarly journals Phosphorus sorption on tropical soils with relevance to Earth system model needs

Soil Research ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 57 (1) ◽  
pp. 17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julia Brenner ◽  
Wesley Porter ◽  
Jana R. Phillips ◽  
Joanne Childs ◽  
Xiaojuan Yang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sorption Isotherms ◽  
Clay Content ◽  
Tropical Soils ◽  
Soil Characteristics ◽  
P Availability ◽  
Earth System ◽  
Phosphorus Sorption ◽  
Soil P ◽  
P Sorption ◽  
Earth System Models

Phosphorus (P) availability critically limits the productivity of tropical forests growing on highly weathered, low-P soils. Although efforts to incorporate P into Earth system models (ESMs) provide an opportunity to better estimate tropical forest response to climate change, P sorption dynamics and controls on soil P availability are not well constrained. Here, we measured P and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) sorption isotherms on 23 soils from tropical Oxisol, Ultisol, Inceptisol, Andisol, and Aridisol soils using P concentrations from 10 to 500mg P L−1, and DOC concentrations from 10 to 100mg DOC L−1. Isotherms were fit to the Langmuir equation and parameters were related to soil characteristics. Maximum P sorption capacity (Qmax) was significantly correlated with clay content (ρ=0.658) and aluminium (Al)- or iron (Fe)-oxide concentrations (ρ=0.470 and 0.461 respectively), and the DOC Qmax was correlated with Fe oxides (ρ=0.491). Readily available soil characteristics could eventually be used to estimate Qmax values. Analysis of literature values demonstrated that the maximum initial P concentration added to soils had a significant impact on the resultant Qmax, suggesting that an insufficiently low initial P range could underestimate Qmax. This study improves methods for measuring P Qmax and estimating Qmax in the absence of isotherm analyses and provides key data for use in ESMs.

Changes in soil phosphorus availability and potential phosphorus loss following cessation of phosphorus fertiliser inputs

Soil Research ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 51 (5) ◽  
pp. 427 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. J. Dodd ◽  
R. W. McDowell ◽  
L. M. Condron
Keyword(s):  
Agricultural Soils ◽  
Soil Phosphorus ◽  
Pasture Production ◽  
Soil P ◽  
Olsen P ◽  
P Loss ◽  
P Concentration ◽  
Rate Of Decline ◽  
P Retention

Long-term application of phosphorus (P) fertilisers to agricultural soils can lead to in the accumulation of P in soil. Determining the rate of decline in soil P following the cessation of P fertiliser inputs is critical to evaluating the potential for reducing P loss to surface waters. The aim of this study was to use isotope exchange kinetics to investigate the rate of decline in soil P pools and the distribution of P within these pools in grazed grassland soils following a halt to P fertiliser application. Soils were sourced from three long-term grassland trials in New Zealand, two of which were managed as sheep-grazed pasture and one where the grass was regularly cut and removed. There was no significant change in total soil P over the duration of each trial between any of the treatments, although there was a significant decrease in total inorganic P on two of the sites accompanied by an increase in the organic P pool, suggesting that over time P was becoming occluded within organic matter, reducing the plant availability. An equation was generated using the soil-P concentration exchangeable within 1 min (E1 min) and P retention of the soil to predict the time it would take for the water-extractable P (WEP) concentration to decline to a target value protective of water quality. This was compared with a similar equation generated in the previous study, which used the initial Olsen-P concentration and P retention as a predictor. The use of E1 min in place of Olsen-P did not greatly improve the fit of the model, and we suggest that the use of Olsen-P is sufficient to predict the rate of decline in WEP. Conversely, pasture production data, available for one of the trial sites, suggest that E1 min may be a better predictor of dry matter yield than Olsen-P.

scholarly journals Kinetics of phosphorus sorption in soils in the state of Paraíba¹

2011 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 1301-1310 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hemmannuella Costa Santos ◽  
Fábio Henrique Tavares de Oliveira ◽  
Ignácio Hernan Salcedo ◽  
Adailson Pereira de Souza ◽  
Valério Damásio da Mota Silva
Keyword(s):  
Soil Properties ◽  
Clay Content ◽  
The State ◽  
Phosphorus Sorption ◽  
P Adsorption ◽  
Soil P ◽  
P Sorption ◽  
P Concentration ◽  
Elovich Equation ◽  
Kinetics Of

The soil P sorption capacity has been studied for many years, but little attention has been paid to the rate of this process, which is relevant in the planning of phosphate fertilization. The purpose of this experiment was to assess kinetics of P sorption in 12 representative soil profiles of the State of Paraíba (Brazil), select the best data fitting among four equations and relate these coefficients to the soil properties. Samples of 12 soils with wide diversity of physical, chemical and mineralogical properties were agitated in a horizontal shaker, with 10 mmo L-1 CaCl2 solution containing 6 and 60 mg L-1 P, for periods of 5, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 420, 720, 1,020, and 1,440 min. After each shaking period, the P concentration in the equilibrium solution was measured and three equations were fitted based on the Freundlich equation and one based on the Elovich equation, to determine which soil had the highest sorption rate (kinetics) and which soil properties correlated to this rate. The kinetics of P sorption in soils with high maximum P adsorption capacity (MPAC) was fast for 30 min at the lower initial P concentration (6 mg L-1). No difference was observed between soils at the higher initial P concentration (60 mg L-1). The P adsorption kinetics were positively correlated with clay content, MPAC and the amount of Al extracted with dithionite-citrate-bicarbonate. The data fitted well to Freundlich-based equations equation, whose coefficients can be used to predict P adsorption rates in soils.

A comparison of some surface soil phosphorus tests that could be used to assess P export potential

Soil Research ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 45 (5) ◽  
pp. 397 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Nash ◽  
Murray Hannah ◽  
Kirsten Barlow ◽  
Fiona Robertson ◽  
Nicole Mathers ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic P ◽  
Soil Tests ◽  
Soil P ◽  
Olsen P ◽  
P Sorption ◽  
P Loss ◽  
Extractable P ◽  
Soil P Tests ◽  
Total P ◽  
Water Extractable

Phosphorus (P) exports from agricultural land are a problem world-wide and soil tests are often used to identify high risk areas. A recent study investigated changes in soil (0–20 mm), soil water and overland flow in 4 recently laser-graded (<1 year) and 4 established (laser-graded >10 years) irrigated pastures in south-eastern Australia before and after 3 years of irrigated dairy production. We use the results from that study to briefly examine the relationships between a series of ‘agronomic’ (Olsen P, Colwell P), environmental (water-extractable P, calcium chloride extractable P, P sorption saturation, and P sorption), and other (total P, organic P) soil P tests. Of the 2 ‘agronomic’ soil P tests, Colwell P explained 91% of the variation in Olsen P, and Colwell P was better correlated with the other soil tests. With the exception of P sorption, all soil P tests explained 57% or more of the total variation in Colwell P, while they explained 61% or less of Olsen P possibly due to the importance of organic P in this soil. Variations in total P were best explained by the organic P (85%), Calcium chloride extractable P (83%), water-extractable P (78%), and P sorption saturation (76%). None of the tests adequately predicted the variation in P sorption at 5 mg P/L equilibrating solution concentration. The results of this limited study highlight the variability between soil P tests that may be used to estimate P loss potential. Moreover, these results suggest that empirical relationships between specific soil P tests and P export potential will have limited resolution where different soil tests are used, as the errors in the relationship between soil test P and P loss potential are compounded by between test variation. We conclude that broader study is needed to determine the relationships between soil P tests for Australian soils, and based on that study a standard protocol for assessing the potential for P loss should be developed.

scholarly journals Estimates of mean residence times of phosphorus in commonly considered inorganic soil phosphorus pools

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 441-454 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julian Helfenstein ◽  
Chiara Pistocchi ◽  
Astrid Oberson ◽  
Federica Tamburini ◽  
Daniel S. Goll ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Surface ◽  
Soil Phosphorus ◽  
Land Surface Models ◽  
High Ph ◽  
Soil P ◽  
P Pools ◽  
Extractable P ◽  
Surface Models ◽  
Exchange Kinetic ◽  
Using Data

Abstract. Quantification of turnover of inorganic soil phosphorus (P) pools is essential to improve our understanding of P cycling in soil–plant systems and improve representations of the P cycle in land surface models. Turnover can be quantified using mean residence time (MRT); however, to date there is little information on MRT of P in soil P pools. We introduce an approach to quantify MRT of P in sequentially extracted inorganic soil P pools using data from isotope exchange kinetic experiments. Our analyses of 53 soil samples from the literature showed that MRT of labile P (resin- and bicarbonate-extractable P) was on the order of minutes to hours for most soils, MRT in NaOH-extractable P (NaOH-P) was in the range of days to months, and MRT in HCl-extractable P (HCl-P) was on the order of years to millennia. Multiple-regression models were able to capture 54 %–63 % of the variability in MRT among samples and showed that land use was the most important predictor of MRT of P in labile and NaOH pools. MRT of P in HCl-P was strongly dependent on pH, as high-pH soils tended to have longer MRTs. This was interpreted to be related to the composition of HCl-P. Under high pH, HCl-P contains mostly apatite, with a low solubility, whereas under low-pH conditions, HCl-P may contain more exchangeable P forms. These results suggest that current land surface models underestimate the dynamics of inorganic soil P pools and could be improved by reducing model MRTs of the labile and NaOH-P pools, considering soil-type-dependent MRTs rather than universal exchange rates and allowing for two-way exchange between HCl-P and the soil solution.

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