FEATURES OF THE ANALYSIS OF PHOSPHORUS CONTENT IN SOILS

Abstract

The article describes the biological and toxic role of Phosphorus and considers the causes of Phosphorus deficiency in soils in the territory of Ukraine. It has been established that for the functioning of living organisms, in particular plants, the lack of Phosphorus significantly affects the processes of growth, metabolism and photosynthesis, etc. The toxic effect of Phosphorus is manifested in the accumulation of agricultural products. The excess of Phosphorus has a negative effect on the consumers of these products and can manifest itself both in the form of food poisoning and in the form of serious diseases. The main forms of existence of Phosphorus compounds in soils (mobile form, immobile and fixed forms), their composition and the relationship between them, the availability of each of the forms for absorption and use by plants, soil characteristics that affect the mobility of Phosphorus compounds are considered. The existing methods and methods of analysis of the content of various forms of phosphorus compounds in soils are summarized. In general, the following methods of analysis are usually used to determine Phosphorus: photometric, titrimetric, and atomic absorption. The methods presented by us (Kirsanov’s method, Machigin’s method, and Chirikov’s method) have certain differences, but they are all based on the photo-colorimetric method. To determine the gross phosphorus content, a modified method according to Ginzburg, Shcheglova, and Wulfius is used. When choosing a method and method of analysis, the main factor is the provision of the laboratory with the necessary materials and reagents and access to devices. The dependence of the choice of the method of analysis of phosphorus content on the parameters of the soil under study was established. The authors concluded that during the analysis of phosphorus content in soils, the choice of methodology should be based on the type of soil under investigation. Mobile compounds of Phosphorus are prioritized for analysis, as they are the most used by plants.