Addition of phosphorus to soils with low to medium phosphorus retention capacities. I. effect on soil phosphorus sorption properties

Abstract

Twelve soils with low‐medium phosphorus (P) retention capacities were equilibrated for 3 months with soluble phosphate at a rate of 100 mg P kg‐1 soil. The P sorption properties of these soils both with and without added P were studied, including equilibrium P concentration (EPCo), standard P requirement (SPR), soil P sorption capacity (b), maximum buffer capacity (MBC), and P sorption index (P‐SI). In general, the soils with no added P showed low values of all the above parameters. Oxalate extractable aluminum appeared to be the major responsible element for the control of P sorption in these soils. The addition of P to these soils had a considerable effect on their P sorption properties. The changes in EPCo were well correlated with P sorption index (r=0.80; p≤0.01 ). The EPCo values of the soils with and without added P were closely correlated to bicarbonate extractable P (P0lsen) and calcium chloride extractable P (PCaC12), with r=0.80, and r=0.99 (p≤0.001), respectively. Ninety percent of the variability in EPCo was explained by the corresponding variability in POlsen when a curvilinear relationship was adopted. The P sorption properties examined appear to be useful parameters to assess the environmental impact of soil P on the quality of surface waters.