Greenhouse evaluation of phosphorus availability from compacted phosphate rocks with urea or with urea and triple superphosphate

Abstract

The possible effect of urea hydrolysis on the availability of phosphorus (P) from phosphate rock (PR) was evaluated in two greenhouse experiments with maize, using two sources of PR — Pesca (Colombia) and Bayovar (Peru) — representing low and high chemical reactivity, respectively. In Experiment I, on a neutral Josephine silty clay loam (pH 6.2) (Typic Haplozerult), Bayovar PR compacted with urea (Bayovar PR + urea) performed better than Bayovar PR compacted with NH4Cl (Bayovar PR + NH4Cl) in increasing dry-matter yield at a rate of 100 mg P kg−1 but not at rates of 50 and 200 mg P kg−1. It was also found that the dry-matter yield obtained with compacted Bayovar PR products was significantly higher when the N ratios of urea: NH4Cl were 1:1 or higher than when the ratios were below 1:1. Although Bray I–P can overestimate available P from PR with respect to that from TSP, a good relationship was observed between Bray I–P and dry-matter yield from various compacted Bayover PR products with a small particle size (−0.43 + 0.15 mm). In Experiment II an acid Bladen sandy loam (pH 4.5) (Typic Albaquult) was used. Finely ground Bayovar PR (− 0.07 mm) was about 66% as effective as TSP in increasing dry-matter yield, whereas Pesca PR was ineffective. When Pesca PR was partially acidulated with H3PO4 at 20% level (PAPR), it became 70% as effective as TSP. Granulated PAPR and Pesca PR compacted with TSP (Pesca PR + TSP) were found to be equally effective in increasing dry-matter yield when both products had the same particle size and the same water-soluble and citrate-soluble P as percent of total P, and when prilled urea was used as the N source. However, when urea was compacted with Pesca PR and TSP, the product's effectiveness was further increased by 30% and to the same level as TSP. In summary, the results tend to support the suggestion that urea hydrolysis can be beneficial in increasing the availability of P from PR to plants in soils having medium to high organic matter contents.