Effects of air-drying on the adsorption and desorption of phosphate and levels of extractable phosphate in a group of acid soils, New Zealand

Abstract

The effects of air-drying field-moist soils on the adsorption and desorption of added phosphate and on the levels of extractable native soil phosphate were examined using the A and B horizons of a group of four acid soils. Air-drying increased the capacity of all the soil samples to adsorb phosphate. At an equilibrium solution concentration of 0.5 μg P ml −1, the increase in the quantity of phosphate adsorbed following drying ranged from 23% to 70% of that adsorbed by the moist samples. Considerable hysteresis in phosphate adsorption—desorption isotherms was observed for both moist and dried soil samples indicating that the additional phosphate adsorbed by the dried samples was held with the same strength as that held by the moist samples. Air-drying the soil samples caused a small decrease in soil pH of approximately 0.1 pH unit and a general increase in levels of EDTA-extractable Fe, Al and organic matter. Quantities of native soil phosphate extractable with EDTA, resin and NaHCO 3 were also increased. Concentrations of oxalate- and pyrophosphate-extractable Fe and Al and exchangeable Al were, however, unaffected by drying. It was also shown that when the phosphate content of NaHCO 3 extracts is measured using the conventional molybdenum blue method, orthophosphate plus a differing amount of acid-hydrolysable organic P present in the extract is measured.