Phosphorus characteristics correlate with soil fertility of albic luvisols

• Published in: Plant and soil Vol. 270; no. 1-2; pp. 47 - 56
• Main Authors: Han, X.Z, Tang, C, Song, C.Y, Wang, S.Y, Qiao, Y.F
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer 01-03-2005; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Acid soils; Adsorption; Agricultural land; Agricultural soils; Agrology; Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; bioassays; Biological and medical sciences; Clay soils; corn; Crop production; Fertility; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General agronomy. Plant production; nutrient availability; Organic soils; Phosphorus; Plant growth; Plant nutrition; Sedimentary soils; Soil fertility; soil nutrients; Soil organic matter; Soil science; soil-plant interactions; Soil-plant relationships. Soil fertility; Soil-plant relationships. Soil fertility. Fertilization. Amendments; Soils; Zea mays; China; Asia; China, People's Rep; Fractionation; Soil fertility; phosphorus release; Property of soil; Soil quality; Phosphorus; Agricultural soil; Inorganic element; Langmuir isotherm; phosphorus fractionation; Adsorption; Luvisols; Characteristics; phosphorus adsorption; Soil plant relation; Release
• ISSN: 0032-079X; 1573-5036
• DOI: 10.1007/s11104-004-1083-9

The information on phosphorus (P) characteristics of albic luvisols and their effect on plant P uptake is limited. Twelve soils representing typical albic luvisols were collected from farmland of four regions in northeast China, each with various levels of soil fertility. Phosphorus fractions, P adsorption and P supply capacity of the soils were analysed and were correlated with soil fertility and plant P nutrition. Total P in these soils ranged from 0.62–0.91 g kg-1, and comprised 37–51% organic P, and 49–63% in inorganic forms among which the percentage of occluded P was the greatest, followed by Fe-P, Ca-P, Al-P and loosely bound P was the lowest (<1%). Whereas the % of organic P was not clearly affected by fertility, the % of occluded P increased with fertility. By contrast, both % and contents of other P forms decreased with decreasing soil fertility. Soil P adsorption maxima calculated from Langmuir isotherm ranged from 484 to 912 mg kg-1. Soils with low fertility had the strongest P adsorption, and those with medium fertility had the weakest in all collection regions. The supply capacity of P was positively related to soil fertility. Plant growth correlated positively with P forms with available P correlating best, followed by Fe-P and P supply capacity. Organic C correlated with available P, Fe-P, total P, Al-P and P supply capacity but not with organic P. The results suggest that though the albic luvisols contained high total P, they had low P availability, and P application is required for optimal crop production on these soils.