scholarly journals Effects of Amending Phosphatic Fertilizers with Clinoptilolite Zeolite on Phosphorus Availability and Its Fractionation in an Acid Soil

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 3162
Author(s):  
Nur Aainaa Hasbullah ◽  
Osumanu Haruna Ahmed ◽  
Nik Muhamad Ab Majid

Soils of the tropics are highly weathered, acidic, and low in phosphorus (P) because of high contents of Al and Fe. Satisfactory P supply is essential to ensure optimum soil and crop productivity. Thus, there is a need for amending soils with zeolite to improve availability of P in acid soils as this mineral can fix Fe and Al instead of P. This study was undertaken to determine the transformations of P fertilizers in acid soils following application of Clinoptilolite zeolite (CZ) in laboratory (incubation) and pot trials. An acid soil was incubated with a recommended fertilization rate and a reduced amount of the existing recommended fertilization by 25% but substituting this reduction with an equivalent amount of CZ. Triple superphosphate (TSP), Egypt Rock phosphate (ERP), and Christmas Island Rock phosphate (CIRP) were used as P sources. Selected soil chemical properties, inorganic P fractions, available P, and total P of the native soil were determined before and after the laboratory and pot trials. Zea mays L. (test crop) plant dry matter production, P concentration, P uptake, and P use efficiency were also determined using standard procedures. Effects of the treatments with CZ compared to the recommended fertilization on P fixation were similar. In the laboratory study, the treatments with TSP showed lower dominance of Fe–P but more pronounced in Al–P, whereas for the RPs, Ca–P was dominant. In the pot study, Al–P, Ca–P, and Fe–P were rather pronounced in the treatments with TSP, ERP, and CIRP, respectively. There was a decrease in exchangeable Al and soil titratable acidity because of the ability of the CZ to increase soil pH. Although the availability of P was not significant with the inclusion of CZ in the incubation study, dry matter production, P concentration, P uptake, and P use efficiency in the pot trial were comparable with that of the existing/recommended fertilization, suggesting that the CZ is beneficial and could be used to reduce the P fertilizer requirement for Zea mays L. cultivation on acid soils. Regardless of type of P fertilizer, prevalence of the moderately labile P fractions (Al–P, Fe–P, and Ca–P) of the incubation and pot studies acted as slow-release P sources to contribute to long-term P release. Further studies on the potential of CZ to reduce fertilization and its effects on soil and crop productivity are essential. It is also important to determine the economic benefits of including CZ in Zea mays L. cultivation.

2015 ◽  
Vol 52 (3) ◽  
pp. 447-465 ◽  
Author(s):  
HUCK YWIH CH'NG ◽  
OSUMANU HARUNA AHMED ◽  
NIK MUHAMAD AB. MAJID

SUMMARYPhosphorus deficiency in tropical acid soils is a problem because soluble inorganic phosphorus is fixed by aluminium and iron. Organic amendments could be used to overcome phosphorus fixation in acid soils. Thus, the objectives of this study were to (i) improve soil phosphorus availability using biochar and compost produced from poultry manure and pineapple leaves respectively, and (ii) determine whether the use of biochar and compost could improve phosphorus, nitrogen, potassium, calcium and magnesium uptake and dry matter production of Zea mays L. cultivation on a tropical acid soil. Organic amendments significantly increased soil pH compared with non-organic amendments. Organic amendments also significantly reduced exchangeable acidity and exchangeable forms of aluminium and iron, and effectively fixed aluminium and iron instead of phosphorus. As a result, phosphorus availability in soil increased. Besides increasing the availability of nitrogen, potassium, calcium and magnesium in soil, organic amendments improved nutrients uptake and dry matter production of Zea mays L. Biochar and compost can be used to improve the productivity of Zea mays L. on acid soils by reducing phosphorus fixation.


2015 ◽  
Vol 66 (11) ◽  
pp. 1151 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guohua Li ◽  
Haigang Li ◽  
Peter A. Leffelaar ◽  
Jianbo Shen ◽  
Fusuo Zhang

The dynamics of soil phosphorus (P) fractions were investigated, in the rhizosphere of fababean (Vicia faba L.) and maize (Zea mays L.) grown in calcareous and acid soils. Plants were grown in a mini-rhizotron with a thin (3 mm) soil layer, which was in contact with the root-mat, and considered as rhizosphere soil. Hedley sequential fractionation was used to evaluate the relationship between soil pH and P dynamics in the rhizosphere of fababean and maize. Soil pH influenced the dynamics of P fractions in both calcareous and acid soils. Fababean and maize roots decreased rhizosphere pH by 0.4 and 0.2 pH units in calcareous soil, and increased rhizosphere pH by 1.2 and 0.8 pH units in acid soil, respectively, compared with the no-plant control. The acid-soluble inorganic P fraction in the rhizosphere of calcareous soil was significantly depleted by fababean, which was probably due to strong rhizosphere acidification. In contrast, maize had little effect on this fraction. Both fababean and maize significantly depleted the alkali-soluble organic P fractions in calcareous soil, but not in acid soil. Fababean and maize utilised different P fractions in soil, which was partly due to their differing abilities to modify the rhizosphere. This study has decoupled successfully the effects of chemically induced pH change from plant growth effects (such as mineralisation and P uptake) on P dynamics. The effect of soil pH on plant exudation response in P-limited soils has been demonstrated in the present study.


2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ali Maru ◽  
Osumanu Ahmed Haruna ◽  
Walter Charles Primus

The excessive use of nitrogen (N) fertilizers in sustaining high rice yields due to N dynamics in tropical acid soils not only is economically unsustainable but also causes environmental pollution. The objective of this study was to coapply biochar and urea to improve soil chemical properties and productivity of rice. Biochar (5 t ha−1) and different rates of urea (100%, 75%, 50%, 25%, and 0% of recommended N application) were evaluated in both pot and field trials. Selected soil chemical properties, rice plants growth variables, nutrient use efficiency, and yield were determined using standard procedures. Coapplication of biochar with 100% and 75% urea recommendation rates significantly increased nutrients availability (especially P and K) and their use efficiency in both pot and field trials. These treatments also significantly increased rice growth variables and grain yield. Coapplication of biochar and urea application at 75% of the recommended rate can be used to improve soil chemical properties and productivity and reduce urea use by 25%.


PLoS ONE ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. e0204401 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hasbullah Nur Aainaa ◽  
Osumanu Haruna Ahmed ◽  
Nik Muhamad Ab Majid

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