Abstract
The effect of soil pH on the dissolution of phosphate rocks (PRs) and the subsequent availability of the dissolved inorganic phosphorus (Pi) to plants was examined in a volcanic soil adjusted to different pH values. Potassium dihydrogen orthophosphate (KH2PO4) and three PRs, Nauru (NPR), Jordan (JPR) and North Carolina (NCPR) were incubated with the pH-amended soils at a rate of 800 μg P g-1 soil for 84 days. The extent of PR dissolution was determined by measuring the increases in the amount of 0.5 M NaOH extractable Pi (ΔNaOH-P) in the PR treated soil over the control soil. The amount of plant available P was measured either by extracting with 0.5 M NaHCO3 or by growing ryegrass in soil samples incubated with the phosphate sources. At each pH the order of the extent of PR dissolution followed NCPR > JPR > NPR, which was consistent with the decreasing order of their chemical reactivities. As the pH decreased from 6.5 to 3.9 the dissolution of PRs increased from 29.3% to 83.5%, from 18.2% to 78.9%, and from 12.5% to 60.3% for NCPR, JPR and NPR, respectively. In contrast, as the soil pH decreased from 6.5 to 3.9, the proportion of the dissolved P extracted by 0.5 M NAHCO3 decreased from 38% to 5% and the proportion taken up by ryegrass plants decreased from 46% to 7%. This decrease in plant available P corresponded to an increase in the adsorption of inorganic P with a decrease in pH. However, the uptake of P from PR relative to that from KH2PO4 was higher at low pH than at high pH. Further, the amount of P taken up by plants was more closely related to the amount of NaHCO3 extractable P than to the amount of dissolved P present in the soil.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 125-134 |
Number of pages | 10 |
Journal | Fertilizer Research |
Volume | 24 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Sept 1990 |
Externally published | Yes |