Isotopic assessment of soil phosphorus fertility and evaluation of rock phosphates as phosphorus sources for plants in subtropical China

Soil phosphorus (P) deficiency is a major factor limiting crop productivity in many tropical and subtropical soils. Due to the acidic nature of these soils, rock phosphate (RP)-based P fertilizers that are cheaper than manufactured water-soluble P fertilizers can be an attractive alternative under certain conditions. Assessment of the efficacy of these alternative P fertilizers and a rational management of local P resources for sustainable agricultural production require an understanding of the dynamics of P in the soil–plant system and the interactions of various P sources in soils and monitoring of soil available P levels. The present work was conducted to test the applicability of the ³²P isotopic kinetic method to assess the soil P fertility status and evaluate the agronomic effectiveness of local rock phosphates in subtropical China. A series of experiments was carried out in the laboratory, greenhouse and field conditions with the following specific objectives: (a) to evaluate the suitability of this isotopic kinetic method in evaluating soil P fertility in 32 soil samples collected across southern China, (b) to test and further develop chemical extraction methods for routine soil P testing, (c) to monitor the dissolution kinetics of local low to medium grade rock phosphate sources and their effect on soil properties and (d) to evaluate their agronomic effectiveness in greenhouse and field experiments. Since most of the studied soils had very low concentrations of soluble P and high P-fixing capacities, the isotopic kinetic method was found unsuitable for evaluating soil P fertility and to predict plant P uptake. In contrast, the proposed chemical extraction method (NaHCO₃-NH₄F) predicted very well plant P uptake, suggesting that this extraction method can be routinely used to evaluate soil bioavailable P in similar soils in subtropical China. From the incubation study, it was found that although the local low to medium grade RPs were inferior to the reactive NCPR in increasing soil available P levels, they have the potential to improve soil chemical properties. Field experiments indeed demonstrated that the medium grade Jinxiang RP significantly increased crop yield, suggesting that local low to medium grade RPs could be used as P sources to provide P to plants and also to improve soil chemical properties. Overall, these results provide important information for a rational management of P resources for sustainable agriculture in subtropical China.     

Differential availability of partially sulphuric and phosphoric acidulated phosphate rocks I. Plant response

A glasshouse study was conducted to determine the influence of soil pH on the agronomic effectiveness of partially phosphoric (Phos-PAPR) and partially sulphuric (SA-PAPR) acidulated phosphate rocks (PR). For Phos-PAPR ground North Carolina PR (NCPR) was acidulated with 10, 30 and 50% of acid needed for complete acidulation. For SA-PAPR a blend of NCPR, Arad and Khouribga PRs were acidulated with 60% of the acid needed. The relative agronomic effectiveness of these PAPRs were compared with superphosphate (SSP) and ground NCPR. A highly phosphate (P) retentive and P deficient pasture soil was used. Prior to addition of fertilizers to soil, the pH of soil was adjusted to 5.1 (initial soil pH) 5.4, 5.7 and 6.1 by applying varying amounts of Ca(OH)₂. Ryegrass (Lolium perenne) was grown as the test plant over a period of eight months. Fertilizers were applied at three rates plus control. Soil pH was monitored and continuously adjusted to the desired levels throughout the experimental period.The dry matter yields and P uptake in SSP treated pots were not influenced by soil pH. With increasing soil pH, agronomic performance of Phos-PAPRs and NCPR significantly (P<0.01) decreased but that of SA-PAPR was not affected. On the basis of per unit water-soluble P applied, uptake of P by plants was greater from PAPRs than SSP. Using the P uptake values of SSP and NCPR (which was used to prepare the PAPRs), the dissolution of P from the residual PR component of the PAPRs were calculated. The residual PR component of the Phos-PAPRs apparently dissolved in greater quantities than unacidulated NCPR. Dissolution of the residual PR was enhanced with increasing degree of acidulation. However, in the case of SA-PAPR, the agronomic performance of the PAPR was mostly dependent on the water-soluble P component of the PAPR. The uptake of P from the residual PR component of the SA-PAPR was insignificant.     

Field Evaluation of the Liming Value of Two Phosphate Rocks and their Partially Acidulated Products After 16 Years of Annual Application to Grazed Pasture

Measuring pH of soil samples (at four to five depths down to 300 mm) collected three times from a long-term (16 years) field trial involving annual application of six forms of phosphate fertilizers at the rate of 30 kg P ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ showed that soil acidity in all treatments, including the untreated control, increased with time. The rates of acidification (pH unit yr⁻¹ during the first 10 years) in the topsoil (0–75 mm depth) were in the order, diammonium phosphate (0.038)>control, single superphosphate>Jordan partially acidulated phosphate rock (JPAPR)>North Carolina partially acidulated phosphate rock (NCPAPR), Jordan phosphate rock (JPR)>North Carolina phosphate rock (NCPR) (0.010). Of the 480 kg P ha⁻¹ applied over the 16 year period, 71 and 57% of P from NCPR and JPR dissolved. The theoretical liming values derived from the dissolution of NCPR and JPR were 1698 and 1303 kg CaCO₃ ha⁻¹ respectively. Liming values of the two PRs calculated from the increase in soil pH over control treatment (ΔpH) down to 300 mm soil depth were 640 and 414 kg CaCO₃ ha⁻¹ for NCPR and JPR, respectively. The lower liming values estimated from the ΔpH method is probably due to proton transfer resulting from the secondary reactions of dissolved fertilizer phosphate with soil constituents, the unaccounted liming effect of the PRs below 300 mm soil depth and the lower soil pH buffering capacities measured from a short-term pH titration method used in the estimation of the liming values. The results of this long-term field study showed that continuous use of certain phosphate rocks (PRs) can significantly slow down the rate of acidification in pastoral soils.     

The agronomic value of co-granulated Christmas Island Grade C phosphate rock and elemental sulphur

Certain low grade phosphate rocks have low agronomic value as direct applied fertilizers and make poor quality superphosphates. With some rocks there is potential to increase their solubility in soils and hence the fertilizer value by mixing with finely divided elemental sulphur (S°). The agronomic value of a prototype low cost, granular P and S fertilizer, Christmas Island Grade C phosphate rock/elemental sulphur (Xmas C/S°), was compared against single superphosphate (SSP) and reactive phosphate rock (RPR)/S° dry blends, North Carolina phosphate rock/S° (NCPR/S°) and NCPR/50% S-super (granular SSP + 44% S°). An eight- month glasshouse trial using ryegrass (Lolium perenne L. cv. Nui), grown in a central yellow-grey earth (Aeric Fragiaqualf), indicated that fertilization with Xmas C/S° produced dry matter yields, between 54 to 73% and 10 to 40% lower than SSP and NCPR/S° blends respectively, and lower plant P and S uptake. Fertilization with Xmas C/S° however produced significantly higher yield and P and S uptake than unfertilized pots and pots receiving Xmas C PR and S° alone. The two RPR/S° dry blends, namely NCPR/S° and NCPR/50% S-super, produced significantly lower yield and P and S uptake than the same two fertilizers granulated with water. The difference in yields and P and S uptake between blends and granulated forms increased with time. The recovery of fertilizer P and S by plants ranged from 3 to 35% and 2 to 45% respectively with the lowest recoveries for Xmas C PR alone and S° alone and the highest for SSP and SSP + S°. During the period of plant growth the percentage of S° oxidised from the S°, Xmas C/S° co-granule, NCPR/S° physical blend and NCPR/S° granular treatments were 37, 32, 32 and 45% respectively. Field evaluations, or use, of the co-granule should consider it's slow P and S release rates.     

Comparison of greenhouse and 32P isotopic laboratory methods for evaluating the agronomic effectiveness of natural and modified rock phosphates in some acid soils of Ghana

Phosphorus deficiency is one of the major constraints for normal plant growth and crop yields in the acid soils of Ghana and therefore addition of P inputs is required for sustainable crop production. This is often difficult, if not impossible for small-scale farmers due to the high cost of mineral P fertilizers and limited access to fertilizer supplies. Direct application of finely ground phosphate rocks (PRs) and their modified forms have been recommended as alternatives for P fertilization. The direct application of the natural and modified PRs to these acid soils implies the need to predict their agronomic effectiveness of the PRs in the simplest and most cost-effective manner. In this study the classical greenhouse pot experiment was compared to the ³²P isotopic kinetics laboratory method for evaluating the agronomic effectiveness of natural and modified Togo PR in six highly weathered Oxisols from southwest Ghana. In the ³²P isotopic kinetics laboratory experiment the six soil samples were each fertilised at the rate of 50 mg P kg^–1 soil in the form of triple superphosphate (TSP), Togo PAPR-50%, and Togo PR, respectively. Controls without P amendment were also included. Isotopic exchange kinetics experiments were carried out on two sets of samples, immediately after P fertilizer additions (without incubation) and after 6 weeks of incubation under wet conditions and at a room temperature of 25 °C. In the greenhouse pot experiment, P fertilizers in the form of Togo PR, Togo PAPR, Mali PR and TSP were each applied to the six soils at rates equivalent to 0, 30, 60, and 120 kg P ha^–1, respectively. The P fertilizers were mixed with the soils and maize (Zea mays L.) variety Obatanpa was grown for 42 days before harvest. The isotopic kinetics data of the control samples indicated that 5 of the studied soils had very low P fertility status as reflected by their low P concentrations in solution (C_P<0.02 mg P l^–1) and low exchangeable P (E₁min < 5 mg P kg^–1). The capacity factor and the fixation index of the soils were variable. Application of water-soluble P as TSP increased both the C_P and E₁ values of all the soils above the critical levels. Togo PR was least effective among the fertilizers tested for all soil soils, except in Boi soil. Acidulation of Togo PR (Togo PAPR-50%) was an effective means to increase its agronomic effectiveness. Direct application of natural Togo PR would be only feasible in the Boi soil series as reflected by its high Pdff% value in soil solution. Incubation with the P fertilizers caused an increase in the soil pH and a decline in the effectiveness of the applied P fertilizers, irrespective of the soil and the fertilizer utilized. Based upon the results of the greenhouse pot experiment, the relative crop response index (RCRI) in terms of increasing dry matter yield and P uptake followed the order of TSP > PAPR = Mali PR >Togo PR = Control. Both the laboratory index, Pdff% in soil solution derived from the isotopic method and the RCRI values obtained from the pot experiment produced similar results in ranking the P fertilizers tested according to their agronomic effectiveness. The isotopic kinetic method may be considered as an alternative to both greenhouse and field methods in the evaluation of agronomic effectiveness of P fertilizers in tropical acid soils when it offers comparative advantages in assessing the soil P status and its changes. But trained staff and adequate laboratory facilities are needed to perform this technique. Also the method can be used as a reference for comparison purposes as in this case. Further research is needed to assess the overall agronomic effectiveness (immediate and residual effects) of PR sources in predominant cropping systems of this region of Ghana.     

The effects of nitrogen fertilizer form on the plant availability of phosphate from soil,phosphate rock and mono-calcium phosphate

A glasshouse trial using lettuce as the test crop, and laboratory incubations were used to evaluate the influence of various nitrogen fertilizers on the availability of phosphate from an unfertilized loamy sand soil and from the same soil fertilized with Sechura phosphate rock or monocalcium phosphate. The order in which nitrogen fertilizer form increased plant yield and P uptake from soil alone and from soil fertilized with the rock was ammonium sulphate > sulphurised urea > ammonium nitrate > urea > potassium nitrate. For each rock application (both 30 and 60 mg/pot) and for soil alone, increased P uptake by the plant correlated well with decreased soil pH. In soil fertilized with the soluble P form, monocalcium phosphate, the form of the nitrogen fertilizer had little effect on plant P uptake. Subsequent laboratory incubation studies showed that increased dissolution of soil-P or Sechura phosphate rock did not occur until acidity, generated by nitrification or sulphur oxidation of the fertilizer materials, had lowered soil pH to below 5.5. A sequential phosphate fractionation procedure was used to show that in soils treated with the acidifying nitrogen fertilizers, ammonium sulphate and urea, there was considerable release of Sechura phosphate rock P to the soil, amounting to 42% and 27% of the original rock P added, respectively.     

An evaluation of the agronomic potential of partially acidulated rock phosphates in calcareous soil

The agronomic potential of four partially acidulated rock phosphates (PARP) made from a moderate reactive phosphate rock at 30 or 60 percent acidulation either by sulfuric acid alone or by combination of sulfuric and phosphoric acids was compared with that of monocalcium phosphate (MCP) and ground rock phosphate (RP) on a calcareous soil (Typic Hapluquent, pH 8.5) in greenhouse. Dry weight and P accumulation of successive cuttings of ryegrass shoots were used to evaluate the relative agronomic potential of these fertilizers. Results indicated that PARPs of higher water-soluble P content had similar immediate effectiveness as MCP at two earlier cuttings, however, they produced significantly less total dry matter than MCP did in overall six successive cuttings. PARPs were constantly inferior to MCP in terms of P uptake by plant in all the six cuttings. When compared to RP, on the other hand, PARPs had markedly higher relative effectiveness. RP itself affected neither the dry matter production nor the P uptake by plant as compared to control treatment.Fractionation of residual inorganic P in the soil samples at two time intervals during plant growth indicated that MCP-P mainly transformed to dicalcium phosphate and octacalcium phosphate, and to a less extent to Fe and Al associated P. These forms of P had significant correlation with P accumulation by plant. Raw RP did not subject to transformation after applied to the soil regardless the duration of culture time. No obvious dissolution of unreacted RP in PARP materials was detected. Plant dry matter production and P uptake were mainly correlated with water-soluble P added with the fertilizers. It is suggested from the experiment that although partial acidulation could substantially improved the effectiveness of rock phosphate and the immediate effect of the fertilizer was competitive with MCP, application of PARP to calcareous soils is only of short-term benefits; in a long run this fertilizer is not considered as a desirable source of P in calcareous soils since the unacidulated part in the fertilizer was unable to be solubilized in the alkaline conditions.     

Agronomical evaluation of phosphate fertilizer as a nutrient source of phosphorus for crops: Isotopic procedure

The agronomic effectiveness of P fertilizers, as sources of phosphorus for crops, was evaluated using the quantities, P_f, of phosphorus taken up byLolium perenne grown on 14 soils during greenhouse experiments in pot cultures. The P_f quantities were determined using³²P-labelled fertilizers. Data were analysed using a new concept: the Isotopic Relative Agronomic Effectiveness (IRAE). The IRAE value was defined as the ratio of the P_f quantity, taken up by a crop, of a tested fertilizer over the P_f quantity, taken up by a crop, of a fertilizer used as standard. In our experiments diammonium phosphate (DAP) was used as standard P fertilizer and two rock phosphates, the North Carolina rock phosphate (NCPR) and a calcium-iron-aluminium phosphate (Phospal), were tested. As a linear relationship between P_f(NCPR) quantities and P_f(DAP) quantities was obtained, with r² = 0.95, when the application rates increased from 15 mgP (kg soil)^–1 to 200 mgP (kg soil)^–1, it is conciuded that IRAE values for a given fertilizer, other than the standard fertilizer, could be determined with a single rate of application. As regards soil pH in the range 4.7 to 8.2 the IRAE_NCPR is related to soil pH by a curvilinear relationship: log IRAE_NCPR = –(0.44) pH + 4.05 with r² = 0.89. The average of IRAE_phospal values was 0.15 with a standard error = 7% irrespective of soil pH. Then a logarithmic relationship was obtained between IRAE values of the two tested fertilizers and their water P-solubility determined at the soil pH where they were applied.     

Phosphate availability in calcareous Vertisols and Inceptisols in relation to fertilizer type and soil properties

The availability to plants of fertilizer phosphorus (P) applied to soil, as measured by chemical extraction, is used to estimate P fertilizer needs. We studied the availability of P, applied as monocalcium phosphate (MCP) powder, ordinary superphosphate (OSP) granules and diammonium phosphate (DAP) granules in 24 calcareous Vertisols and Inceptisols of Andalusia, Spain, by using laboratory incubation techniques. The soils differed widely in their P adsorption- and Ca-phosphate precipitation-related properties. For MCP, availability (defined as the proportion of added P that is recovered by extraction with NaHCO₃ or is isotopically exchangeable) decreased markedly with incubation time and increasing addition rate. The mean recoveries after 180 d of incubation at field capacity at a rate of 246 mg P kg^–1 soil were 17% for Olsen P, 38% for Colwell P, and 16% for isotopically exchangeable P (IEP). Increasing the application rate to 2460 mg kg^–1 resulted in recoveries of 6% for Olsen P, 25% for Colwell P, and 4% for IEP. While IEP-based recovery was not significantly correlated to any soil property, that based on Olsen P (and, to a lesser extent, Colwell P) decreased sharply with increase in the ratio of clay (or Fe oxides) to total (or active) calcium carbonate equivalent. Accordingly, Olsen P might overestimate P availability in those soils relatively rich in carbonate and poor in clay and Fe oxides. On the other hand, recovery of applied P from soils containing more clay and Fe oxides, by a sequential extraction (with H₂O, two 0.5M NaHCO₃ treatments, 0.5M HCl), was lower than 100%, thereby suggesting phosphate occlusion by Fe oxides or clay.Availability of the fertilizers tested 90 d after application was found to decrease in the following order: MCP powder (rate, 246 mg kg^–1) > DAP granules (rate, 547 mg kg^–1) > MCP powder (rate, 738 mg kg^–1) > OSP granules (rate, 308 mg kg^–1). Differences between fertilizers tended to increase with increasing carbonate content in the soil. This may have been due to precipitation of Ca phosphates caused by the presence of Ca in the fertilizer and the high Ca- supplying capacity of the more calcareous soils.     

Dissolution of phosphate rocks in soils. 2. Effect of pH on the dissolution and plant availability of phosphate rock in soil with pH dependent charge

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 800µg 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 (NaOH-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.     

Induced phosphorus fixation and the effectiveness of phosphate fertilizers derived from Sukulu Hills phosphate rock

A greenhouse study was conducted with two surface, acidic soils (a Hiwassee loam and a Marvyn loamy sand) to measure the effect of increasing P-fixation capacity, on the relative agronomic effectiveness (RAE) of phosphate fertilizers derived from Sukulu Hills phosphate rock (PR) from Uganda. Prior to fertilizer application, Fe-gel was added to increase P-fixation capacity from 4.4 to 14.3% for the Marvyn soil and from 37.0 to 61.5% for the Hiwassee soil. Phosphate materials included compacted Sukulu Hills concentrate PR + Triple superphosphate (CTSP) at a total P ratio of PR:TSP = 50:50; 50% partially acidulated PR (CPAPR) from Sukulu Hills concentrate PR made with H₂SO₄; and Sukulu Hills concentrate PR (PRC) made by magnetically removing iron oxide from raw PR ore. Triple superphosphate (TSP) was used as a reference fertilizer. After adjusting soil pH to approximately 6, P sources were applied at rates of 0, 50, 150, and 300 mg total P kg^–1 soil. Two successive crops of 5 week old corn seedlings (Zea mays L.) were grown. The results show that the RAE of the phosphate materials measured using dry-matter yield or P uptake generally decreased as P-fixation capacity was increased for both soils. CTSP was more effective in increasing dry-matter yield and P uptake than CPAPR. PRC alone was an ineffective P source. Soil chemical analysis showed that Bray 1 and Mehlich 1 extractants were ineffective on the high P-fixation capacity Fe-gel amended Hiwassee soil. Mehlich 1 was unsuitable for soils treated with PRC since it apparently solubilizes unreactive PR. When all of the soils and P sources were considered together, Pi paper was the most reliable test for estimating plant available P.     

Evaluating the Effectiveness of Phosphate Fertilizers in some Venezuelan soils

In Venezuela, 70% of the soils are acid with low natural fertility where phosphorus is the most limiting element together with nitrogen and potassium for plant growth. The efficiency of phosphate fertilization is low. Greenhouse and field experiments were conducted to evaluate the efficiency of natural and modified rock phosphate using conventional and isotopic techniques. An incubation experiment was done to measure changes in available P on application of different phosphate fertilizers at a constant rate of 100 mg P/kg in ten acid soils of agricultural importance in Venezuela. In the greenhouse, two experiments were conducted to relate P fixation to soil P availability and the response of an index plant (Agrostis sp.). A high variability in P fixing capacity of the soils (r1/Ro = 0.02–0.76) was observed with the same level of available P. This fixation index is defined as the proportion of the added radioactivity (³²P) remaining in the soil solution after 1 min of exchange and a low fixing capacity is indicated by the values close to 1. The proportion of the total soil P that can possibly enter the soil solution and therefore is potentially available for plant uptake was measured using the traditional method (Bray I) and the isotopic method (E value). The high variability was also apparent in available P extracted by Bray I showing a range of 10 to 88% of the total P removed by the extracting solution. The incubation studies showed that the effectiveness of the P source for available P in the soil solution was related to their reactivity and the soil P fixing properties. The increase in the fixing capacity of the soils used caused a significant reduction in the E value, independent of the source of P used. A high positive and significant correlation between Bray I extracted P and the E value (r = 0.95) obtained from the different treatments, showed the relationship of the extractant for some forms of available P in soils where rock phosphate was applied. In the greenhouse experiment, the crop response was related to the P fixing properties of the soil, the initial availability and the solubility of the P source used. The P in plant derived from the fertilizer and the Utilization Coefficient decreased significantly as the P fixing capacity of the soils increases indicating a lower availability of P for the the index plant (Agrostis sp.). The P in plant derived from the P fertilizers calculated by using the specific activity of each treatment and the one of the check plot showed that triple superphosphate had the highest values with acidulated Riecito rock phosphate (40%) having intermediate values, and Riecito rock phosphate having the lowest value. The use of ³²P techniques as a powerful method to study soil P dynamics and P uptake from different P sources and the effectiveness of phosphate rocks (natural and modified) produced in Venezuela with respect to the water-soluble P source (imported), are some of the practical implications of this study.     

Agronomic evaluation of fertilizer products derived from Sukulu Hills phosphate rock

Partial acidulation of phosphate rock (PR) or compaction of PR with soluble P fertilizers can improve the usefulness of unreactive PR for use as P fertilizer. A greenhouse study was conducted to evaluate nonconventional phosphate fertilizers derived from a low reactive Sukulu Hills PR from Uganda. Raw PR (which contained 341.0 g kg^–1 Fe₂O₃), beneficiated or concentrate PR, partially acidulated PR (PAPR) and PR compacted with triple superphosphate (TSP) were evaluated. Compacted materials had a P ratio of PR:TSP = 50:50. PAPR materials were made by 50% acidulation with H₂SO₄. TSP was used as a reference fertilizer. Fertilizers were applied to an acidic (pH = 5.4) Hiwassee loam (clayey, kaolinitic, thermic Rhodic Kanhapludults) at rates of 0, 50, 100, 200, 300 and 400 mg P kg^–1 soil. Two successive corn (Zea mays L.) crops were grown for 6 weeks. Compacted concentrate PR + TSP and raw PR + TSP were 94.4 and 89.7% as effective as TSP, respectively, in increasing dry-matter yields for the first corn crop. PAPR from the concentrate was 54.8% as effective as TSP. Raw PR, concentrate PR and the PAPR from the raw PR were ineffective in increasing dry-matter yields. The same trends were obtained when P uptake was used to compare effectiveness. Ineffectiveness of the raw PR and its corresponding PAPR was attributed to a high Fe₂O₃ content in the raw PR. Bray I and Pi paper were found to be nearly equally suitable at estimating available P in the soils treated with responsive fertilizer materials. Mehlich 1 overestimated available P in soil treated with raw PR, concentrate PR or the PAPR from the raw PR.     

Partial acidulation of an ‘unground’ phosphate rock: II. Plant availability of phosphate

Four greenhouse experiments were conducted using three soils to determine the availability to plants of P from unground North Carolina phosphate rock (PR) treated with 20% to 50% of the H₃PO₄ required for complete acidulation. The influences of soil P retention, P status, the method of preparation of partially acidulated phosphate rocks (PAPRs) and the granule size of the products were investigated. Perennial ryegrass was grown as the test plant for up to 8 months. Triple superphosphate (TSP) was used as the standard fertilizer and unground North Carolina rock was included for comparison.The dry matter yield and P uptake response curves showed that in all experiments PAPRs were markedly superior to the PR. P status of soils appeared to influence the effectiveness of PAPRs to a greater extent than P retention. In soils of low P status the degree of acidulation required for PAPR to be nearly or as effective as TSP was 50% whereas in a soil of high P status even 30% PAPR applied as a maintenance fertilizer was effective. There was a significant positive correlation between water soluble P of fertilizers and P uptake by ryegrass. However, in general PAPRs were more effective per unit of water soluble P than TSP. Granule size (< 1 mm and 1–2 mm) and method of preparation of PAPRs did not alter the effectiveness of PAPRs.     

Comparison of P- availability from monocalcium and diammonium phosphates using a mechanistic nutrient uptake model

Calcium and ammonium phosphates are the most commonly used phosphate fertilizers. Since they differ in some chemical aspects it is important to compare their ability for supplying P to plant roots in different soils. The objective of this research was to compare the predicted effectiveness of monocalcium phosphate (MCP) and diammonium phosphate (DAP) for supply of P to maize in 13 soils. Phosphorus was applied at rates varying with soil from 50 to 400 mg kg^–1. Thirty days later P, Ca, pH, and Al were measured in the soil solution and in the solid phase. We calculated buffer power (b) and effective diffusion coefficient (D_e) for P, and used them, together with solution P (C_li), in the Barber-Cushman mechanistic nutrient model to predict P uptake. Monocalcium phosphate and DAP were similarly effective in supplying P to plant roots. Predicted P uptake differed between fertilizers in only three soils, and maximum differences between fertilizers in C_li or resin-exchangeable P (C_si) in any one soil were always less than 30%. The determinations most highly correlated with predicted P uptake were D_e (r = 0.93^**) and C_li (r = 0.60^*). Resin-exchangeable P was not significantly correlated with C_li, D_e, b or P uptake. Calcium, Al, and pH varied with source of P and soil: soils treated with DAP had lower extractable Al, lower Al in solution, and higher soil pH than soils where MCP was applied. Monocalcium phosphate increased extractable Ca whereas DAP did not affect it.Contribution of Purdue Univ. Agric. Exp. Stn. Purdue Journal Paper No. 12094. Received 0000.     

The application of isotopic (32P and 15N) dilution techniques to evaluate the interactive effect of phosphate-solubilizing rhizobacteria, mycorrhizal fungi and Rhizobium to improve the agronomic efficiency of rock phosphate for legume crops

A pot experiment was designed to evaluate the interactive effects of multifunctional microbial inoculation treatments and rock phosphate (RP) application on N and P uptake by alfalfa through the use of ¹⁵N and ³²P isotopic dilution approaches. The microbial inocula consisted of a wild type (WT) Rhizobium meliloti strain, the arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungus Glomus mosseae (Nicol. and Gerd.) Gerd. and Trappe, and a phosphate solubilizing rhizobacterium (Enterobacter sp.). Inoculated microorganisms were established in the root tissues and/or in the rhizosphere soil of alfalfa plants (Medicago sativa L.). Improvements in N and P accumulation in alfalfa corroborate beneficial effects of Rhizobium and AM interactions. Inoculation with selected rhizobacteria improved the AM effect on N or P accumulation in both the RP-added soil and in the non RP-amended controls. Measurements of the ¹⁵N/¹⁴N ratio in plant shoots indicate an enhancement of the N₂ fixation rates in Rhizobium-inoculated AM-plants, over that achieved by Rhizobium in non-mycorrhizal plants. Whether or not RP was added, AM-inoculated plants showed a lower specific activity (³²P/³¹P) than did their comparable non-mycorrhizal controls, suggesting that the plant was using otherwise unavailable P sources. The phosphate-solubilizing, AM-associated, microbiota could in fact release phosphate ions, either from the added RP or from the indigenous ``less-available' soil phosphate. A low Ca concentrations in the test soil may have benefited P solubilization. Under field conditions, the inoculation with AM fungi significantly increased plant biomass and N and P accumulation in plant tissues. Phosphate-solubilizing rhizobacteria improved mycorrhizal responses in soil dually receiving RP and organic matter amendments. Organic matter addition favoured RP solubilization. This, together with a tailored microbial inoculation, increased the agronomic efficiency of RP in the test soil that was Ca deficient at neutral pH.     

Effectiveness of partially acidulated phosphate rock as a source to plants in calcareous soils

In a series of greenhouse experiments granulated phosphate fertilizers prepared by mixing triple superphosphate with phosphate rock and partially acidulated phosphate rock, ranging in their content of water souble P from 95 to 17 per cent of total P were applied to neutral and slightly alkaline (pH 6.9–7.8), sandy loam to clay soils ranging in calcium carbonate content from 2 to 35 percent. Dry matter yield of clover, alfalfa, millet or maize were obtained, P uptake determined and sodium bicarbonate extractable P in soil measured. In one field experiment triple superphosphate was compared to mixture of triple superphosphate and phosphate rock on maize. X ray difraction on one triple superphosphate — phosphate rock mixture and on one partially acidulated phosphate rock showed that both fertilizers contain mainly monocalcium phosphate and fluorapatite. After incubation in soil the dicalcium phosphate content rose and the monocalcium phosphate disappeared.Parameters received in greenhouse experiments and in the field indicate that phosphate fertilizers composed of superphosphate and up to 50 percent phosphate rock are as efficient source of P to plants on calcareous and slightly alkaline soils as superphosphate. If this indication would be proven in extensive field experimentation it would lead to savings in acid consumption and in fertilizer manufacturing plant capacity for calcareous soils.     

Agronomy,modelling and economics of reactive phosphate rocks as slow-release phosphate fertilizers for grasslands

Reactive phosphate rocks (RPRs) from Sechura, Peru (SPR) and North Carolina, USA (NCPR) were compared with triple superphosphate (TSP) as phosphate (P) fertilizers for permanent grass/clover pastures in four field trials in New Zealand. Trial sites ranged in initial pH (in water) from 5.7 to 6.3 and in rainfall from 712 to 1338 mm yr^–1. SPR and NCPR were used in the unground as-received state. Fertilizers were applied annually for six years. Pasture was harvested by frequent mowing, and herbage dry matter (DM) yields were measured at each cut. Herbage P concentrations were measured at each cut in two trials and on most cuts in the other two.For all sites combined, DM production from RPRs was initially significantly less than from TSP but it improved relative to TSP with time. Substitution values of RPR relative to TSP, denoted by S.V. (TSP/RPR) and defined as the ratio of P in TSP to P in RPR required to produce the same plant response during a specified period of time, were estimated by relating yields from RPR treatments to the yield response curve for different application rates of TSP. For the four trials combined, S.V. (TSP/SPR) increased from 0.32 in year 2 to 0.85 in year 6. S.V. values for NCPR were similar. The site which had the lowest S.V. values (average 0.20) for total production over six years was the site with highest pH (6.3) and lowest rainfall (712 mm). Corresponding S.V. values for the other sites were 0.50 to 0.78.Herbage P concentrations showed a similar pattern of RPR performance relative to TSP to that shown by DM production except at the highest application rate where TSP always supported much higher herbage P concentrations than RPR.The pattern of DM production from RPR relative to TSP was explained on the basis of a model involving soil P pools of undissolved fertilizer P and plant-available P respectively, with the hypothesis that P dissolved from RPR entered the plant-available P pool and was used with the same efficiency as P entering by dissolution of TSP. Model predictions of substitution values using directly measured RPR dissolution rates agreed well with observed substitution values.The advantage of RPRs in comparison to soluble P fertilizers for permanent pastures was considered to lie in their lower price and not in greater nutrient efficiency. Economic advantage was calculated in terms of the return on investment from establishing and maintaining a pool of RPR in the soil large enough to release the required annual amount of plant-available P compared with the cost of annual applications of soluble P fertilizer.     

Enhancing the agronomic effectiveness of natural phosphate rock with poultry manure: a way forward to sustainable crop production

Phosphorus inputs are required in highly weathered tropical soils for sustainable crop production. However, high cost and limited access to mineral P fertilizers limit their use by resource-poor farmers in West Africa. Direct application of finely ground phosphate rock (PR) is a promising alternative but low solubility of PR hampers its use. Co-application of PR with manure could be a low cost means of improving the solubility of natural PR and improve their agronomic effectiveness. Our objective was to quantitatively estimate the enhancement effect of poultry manure on P availability from low reactive PR (Togo phosphate rock) applied to highly weathered soils. We utilized two highly weathered soils from Ghana and Brazil for this greenhouse study. Using ³²P isotopic tracers, the agronomic effectiveness of poultry-manure-amended Togo rock phosphate (TPR) was compared with partially acidulated Togo rock phosphate (PAPR) and triple superphosphate (TSP). Four rates of poultry manure: 0, low (30 mg P kg⁻¹ soil), high (60 mg P kg⁻¹ soil) and very high (120 mg P kg⁻¹ soil) were, respectively, added to a constant amendment (60 mg P kg⁻¹ soil) of the P sources and applied to each pot of 4 kg soil. A Randomized Complete Block Design was used for the greenhouse experiment and Maize (Zea mays L.) was used as a test crop. The plants were grown for 42 days after which the above ground biomass was harvested for analysis. Without poultry manure addition, the agronomic effectiveness, represented by the relative agronomic effectiveness (RAE) and proportion of P derived from fertilizer (% Pdff) was in the order TSP > PAPR > TPR = control (P₀). In the presence of low rate poultry manure addition, the agronomic effectiveness followed the order TSP > PAPR = PR > P₀. However, at the high and very high rates of poultry manure addition, no significant differences in agronomic effectiveness were observed among the P sources, suggesting that at this rate of poultry manure addition, PR was equally as effective as TSP. The study showed that direct application of PR co-applied with poultry manure at a 1:1 P ratio will be a viable option for P replenishment. Thus a combination of PR and poultry manure could be a cost-effective means of ensuring sustainable agricultural production in P-deficient, highly weathered tropical soils.     

Wheat growth from phosphorus fertilizers as affected by time and method of application in soil with an acidic subsurface layer

Using soils with an acidic subsurface layer, three glasshouse experiments were carried out to evaluate the effect of placement method and application rate of triple superphosphate (TSP) and North Carolina phosphate rock (NCPR) on dry matter (DM) yields. Time of application of NCPR on DM yield response of wheat was also studied.For Experiment 1, soil was collected in depth intervals of 0–2; 4–6; 6–8; and 8–10 cm from a red earth (chromic luvisol). The treatments included two P sources (TSP and NCPR), three placement methods (broadcast, banded or mixed into the subsurface layer, 6–8 cm), and six application rates. In this P deficient soil with an acidic subsurface layer, there was relatively little effect of application method of TSP on wheat yield responses. The maximum dry matter yield responses for broadcast, band and mix application methods was 30, 42 and 50 %, respectively. Responses to NCPR broadcast, band and mix methods were 20, 9 and 44 %, respectively. Mixing NCPR into to acidic subsurface layer produced yields similar to those from TSP although a higher application rate of P as NCPR was needed to achieve this outcome.Treatments for Experiments 2 and 3 were time of application of NCPR (0 and 30 days before sowing) and rate of application of NCPR (0 and 40 mg P/pot). In Experiment 2 (same soil as Experiment 1) application of NCPR prior to sowing, resulted in higher Colwell P concentration than when applied at sowing, but time of application had no effect on final DM yields. Experiment 3 used a red podzolic (chromic luvisol) soil which had a lower P-status, was more acid and had a lower exchangeable Ca²⁺ concentration than the red earth. Application of NCPR prior to sowing resulted in lower DM yield than when it was applied prior to sowing.