Comparison of four phosphorus extraction methods on three acid southeastern soils

Abstract

Abstract Phosphorus extractants have not been tested extensively in the Southeast. An experiment was carried out to compare four P extractant methods using samples from a field P‐K factorial experiment with soybeans (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) at three locations in Georgia over four years. There were five P rates ranging from none to 80 kg ha‐1. Soils and plant tissue were sampled at mid‐summer and yields were recorded. The four P extractants compared were Olsen, Mehlich 1, Mehlich 2, and Bray 1. Quadratic regressions for soil P versus plant P and P rates were not significant compared to linear regressions. There were no significant yield responses to P. All extractants except Olsen were similar in their response to added fertilizer P as measured by linear r2 values. Olsen P gave lower linear r2 values both with P rate and with plant P. Mehlich 1 values were highly correlated with Mehlich 2 (0.94∗∗) and Bray 1 (0.96∗∗). Mehlich 2 and Bray 1 gave nearly the same soil P values with linear regressions of slope ...