Abstract

The aim in developing this work was to summarize information about phosphorus (P) limitation and dynamic in tropical soils for forage grasses production. The major idea is direct information about limited factors affecting P availability, dynamic of P fractionation, P pools, P forms, P use efficiency, and the 4R?s Nutrient Stewardship? for P-fertilizer in forage grasses. Organizing these sub-headings in a chapter can result in interesting of how P behaves under tropical soils, in order to take decision to manage P-fertilizer to accomplish forage grasses production with social, economic, and environmental benefits. As the most limiting nutrient in tropical soils, P-fertilizer in forage grasses can be more effective if the best management practices are followed. In order to avoid excess P-fertilizer application in soil or P-fertilizer response with low efficiency, it is important to understand the P dynamic and the factors associated with P adsorption in soil. Even with low amount of P requested to forages species, the P available in soil is quite low, and this knowledge is primordial to direct P-fertilizer. Tropical soils are quite limited in P content, due to the natural formation with parental material poor in P content and highly weathering condition. Thus, in order to improve phosphorus use efficiency, the 4R?s must be followed to improve P use efficiency (PUE). It is not easy to improve PUE in highly weathering soil with high buffering capacity; however, all the combination of best management practices for P-fertilizer application can result in better use efficiency. Based on the scarcity of natural P-sources in the whole world, the use of alternative P-sources should be incentivized, and more researches about this issue are need for better understanding.

Highlights

  • The essentiality of phosphorus (P) for plants, grazing animal, and human being is quite evident [1–3]

  • The development of plant genotypes adapted to the adverse conditions of soil fertility, notably to phosphorus deficiency, the introduction of selected material to certain environments are interesting aspects from the point of view of the efficiency in the P-fertilizer use and the sustainability of the productive system

  • Tropical soils are quite limited in P content, due to the natural formation with parent material poor in P content and weathering

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Summary

Introduction

The essentiality of phosphorus (P) for plants, grazing animal, and human being is quite evident [1–3]. Phosphorus reservoir in the world is decreasing, and the consumption of P-fertilizer is increasing worldwide [4], which is a challenge for farmers cropping in tropical regions under highly weathering soil with high P-sorption capacity and low P availability [5]. The integrated crop-livestock system has been taken place of degraded pastures in Brazilian Cerrado, resulting in improvement of stocking rate due to better soil fertility for forages cultivated right after grain crops. In this case, forages are cultivated without expend in P-fertilizer because of residual P from grain crops cultivation is enough. The aim of this chapter is to summarize information about phosphorus (P) limitations, and that it is dynamic in tropical soil for forage grasses

Phosphorus pool in soils
Organic phosphorus
Inorganic phosphorus
Microbial activity in phosphorus dynamics
Phosphorus forms in soil
Phosphorus labile
Phosphorus moderated labile
Phosphorus no labile
Determination of P forms
Phosphorus use efficiency
The 4R’s nutrient stewardship’ for P-fertilizer in forage grasses
Right source
Right rate
Right place
Right time
10. Soil nutrient interactions with phosphorus
Findings
11. Concluding remarks
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