Phosphate fertilizer form and application strategy affect phosphorus mobility and transformation in a drip‐irrigated calcareous soil

Abstract

AbstractThe objective was to increase understanding about how P fertilizer form and application strategy affect P mobility and use efficiency in a drip‐irrigated calcareous soil. The study used two P forms (granular or liquid P) and two application methods (single or repeated application). Phosphorus uptake by roots was simulated by using diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT). Six fractions of inorganic P were obtained using the Jiang‐Gu sequential fractionation scheme. Mobility of P was greater when the fertilizer was applied in liquid rather than granular form. Depending on the fertilizer application rate, Olsen P concentrations 13.5–43 mm from the application point were larger by 22–96% in the liquid P treatment than in the granular P treatment. Liquid P increased DGT‐absorbed P by 29% and Ca2‐P by 17% compared with granular P averagely. The P uptake and PUE were averagely larger by 32 and 121%, respectively, in the liquid P treatment than in the granular P treatment. In conclusion, liquid P fertilization reduces P fixation and increases P diffusion, availability, and bioavailability in calcareous soil. Phosphorus mobility is greater when the fertilizer is applied in a single rather than repeated application.