The effect of soil flooding on the transformation of Fe oxides and the adsorption/desorption behavior of phosphate

Abstract

AbstractAs repeatedly reported, soil flooding improves the availability of P to rice. This is in contrast with an increased P sorption in paddy soils. The effects of soil flooding on the transformation of Fe oxides and the adsorption/desorption of P of two paddy soils of Zhejiang Province in Southeast‐China were studied in anaerobic incubation experiments (submerging with water in N2 atmosphere). Soil flooding significantly increased oxalate‐extractable Fe (Feox), mainly at the expense of dithionite‐soluble Fe (FeDCB), as well as oxalate‐extractable P (Pox), but decreased the ratio of Pox/Feox. Flooding largely increased both, P adsorption and the maximum P adsorption capacity. The majority of newly sorbed P in the soils was Pox, but also more newly retained P was found to be not extractable by oxalate. Flooding also changed the characteristics of P desorption in the soils. Due to a decrease of the saturation index of the P sorption capacity, P adsorbed by flooded soils was much less desorbable than that from non‐flooded soils. There are obviously significant differences in the nature of both, the Feox and Pox fractions under non‐flooded and flooded conditions. The degree of the changes in Feox, Pox, P adsorption and P desorption by flooding depended on the contents of amorphous and total Fe oxides in non‐flooded soils. Our results confirm that the adsorption and desorption behavior of P in paddy soils is largely controlled by the transformation of the Fe oxides. The reasons of the often‐reported improved P availability to rice induced by flooding, in spite of the unfavorable effect on P desorbability, are discussed.