Soil phosphorus fate and its lability after a long-term phosphorus fertilizer strategy in Brazilian Oxisol

• Published in: Archiv für Acker- und Pflanzenbau und Bodenkunde Vol. 67; no. 12; pp. 1694 - 1707
• Main Authors: Coelho, Marta Jordana Arruda, Ruiz-Diaz, Dorivar, Rodrigues, Marcos, Ono, Fábio Benedito, Kappes, Claudinei, Zancanaro, Leandro, Pavinato, Paulo Sergio
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Abingdon Taylor & Francis 15.10.2021; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Accumulation; annual P fertilizer; Cotton; Crop production; Crop production systems; Fertilization; Fertilizers; Fractionation; Lability; legacy P; P buildup; P fractionation; P use efficiency; Phosphorus; Phosphorus pentoxide; Phosphorus rates; Pools; Residual soils; Soil analysis; Soybeans
• ISSN: 0365-0340; 1476-3567
• DOI: 10.1080/03650340.2020.1803492

We aimed to assess the changes in soil phosphorus (P) pools and legacy P after long-term phosphate fertilization. A field study was conducted for 12 years with cotton and soybean crop production in a yearly rotation. Treatments included initial P buildup with five rates (0, 50, 100, 150 and 200 kg ha −1 of P 2 O 5 ), and annual band-applied P at five rates (0, 30, 60, 90 and 120 kg ha −1 of P 2 O 5 ). Soil was sampled at 0-20 and 20-40 cm and analyzed for soil P pools via a sequential P fractionation scheme. Higher annual P rates (60, 90 and 120 kg ha −1 of P 2 O 5 ) improved significantly the residual soil P accumulation in labile fractions (+34, +53 and +67 mg kg −1 of P, respectively), while no effect of initial P buildup was detected. The cumulative yield increased with annually banded fertilizer rates, with a peak under 91 kg ha −1 of P 2 O 5 , representing a productivity of 4.11 Mg ha −1 per year across the 12-year period. Thus, P accumulation from annual rates in labile fractions (13%, ~110 mg kg −1 of P) represents promptly available P pool in the soil and may be considered for P fertilizer recommendation programs in crop production systems.