Applications of poultry litter and triple superphosphate fertilizer to a sandy soil: Effects on soil phosphorus status and profile distribution

Abstract

To determine P loadings, added through poultry litter, sufficient to cause downward movement of P from the cultivated layer of a sandy soil, six rates of poultry litter were applied annually for four years to a site in central England. (total loading 0 – 1119 kg P ha-1). A single extra plot also received an extra 1000 kg ha-1 as triple superphosphate (TSP; total loading 2119 kg P ha-1) and three other treatments received 200 – 800 kg ha-1 P as TSP only. Annual soil sampling in 30-cm increments to 1.5-m depth provided information on P build-up in the topsoil and P movement to depth. There were strong linear trends between P balance (P applied – P removed in crops) and total P, Olsen bicarbonate extractable P and water-soluble P in the topsoil. Phosphorus from TSP and poultry litter fell on the same regression lines, suggesting that both would be equally effective as fertilizer sources. We calculated that 100 kg ha-1 surplus total P would increase the Olsen extractable P content by c. 6 mg kg-1 and the water-soluble P by c. 5 mg kg-1. Thus, relatively large amounts of P would need to be applied to raise soil P status. We found some evidence of P movement into the soil layers immediately below cultivation depth. However, neither soil sampling nor soil solution extracted through Teflon water samplers showed evidence of movement into the deep subsoil (1 m) despite large P loadings.