Phosphorus transformations in acid light-textured soils treated with dry swine manure

Abstract

Organic matter can sorb P in acid soils through metal-organic matter-phosphate complexes. The pyrophosphate extractable Al and Fe and soil C contents were hypothetized to influence P partitioning in Ferro-Humic Podzols. Reaction of added P may be mitigated by adding lime or organic matter as dry swine manure (DSM) together with mineral P fertilizers. Three soils had 40 to 50 g kg-1 of soil organic matter (SOM) content, and 76 to 140 mmol (Al + Fe)pyro kg-1. A peaty soil phase had 200 g SOM kg-1, and 58 mmol (Al + Fe)pyro kg-1. Rates of monoammonium phosphate were 0, 27, 69, and 144 kg P ha-1 in a simulated fertilizer band. Rates of DSM and lime were 800 and 185–369 mg per 35 mL of soil, respectively. After 6 wk of incubation, soil P was fractionated sequentially into aluminium bound P (Al-P), iron bound P (Fe-P), and loosely bound P. Total P, desorbed P and organic P were determined in separate subsamples. A proportion of 79–92% of added P was recovered as Al-P and Fe-P in the three low SOM soils, compared to 51–61% in the high SOM soil. The DSM increased loosely bound P from 25 to 34% in the high SOM soil and from 4.8 to 5.9% in low SOM soils. With DSM, the proportion of desorbed P was much higher in the high (70%) than in low SOM (22%) soils. Compared to the non-amended treatment, lime showed no significant effect on any P fraction but desorbed P. The DSM increased P availability in the fertilizer band considerably more in the soil having the lowest (Al + Fe)pyro/C ratio. Key words: P fractionation, organic ligand, P sorption, fertilizer band