Effect of phosphate rock sources on biological nitrogen fixation by soybean

Abstract

Very little information is available concerning the effect of phosphate rock (PR) sources on biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) in legume crops. In a greenhouse study, the¹⁵N isotopic dilution technique was used to compare the effectiveness of three sources of PR (Hahotoe rock, Togo; Tilemsi rock, Mali; and Sechura rock, Peru) with that of triple superphosphate (TSP) in increasing soybean seed yield and the amounts of N fixed by the soybean crop. The acid Hartsells slit loam was limed to pH 5.2 and incubated with 8.5 mg N kg⁻¹ as K¹⁵NO₃ and sucrose for 2 months prior to planting. Then fertilizer P was incorporated into the soil at 12.5, 25, 50, and 100 mg P kg⁻¹ rates.

The relative agronomic effectiveness (RAE) of the three PRs with respect to TSP (RAE = 100%) in terms of increasing seed yield was Hahotoe rock = 6.0%, Tilemsi rock = 45.9%, and Sechura rock = 75.2%; this trend followed the same trend as PR reactivity, i.e., Sechura rock > Tilemsi rock > Hahotoe rock. BNF was affected significantly by all the P treatments. Of the total N derived from the three N sources (atmosphere, N_dfa; fertilizer K¹⁵NO₃, N_dff; and soil, N_dfs), N_dfa was highest with TSP and lowest with Hahotoe rock, whereas the reverse was found with N_dfs. Among various plant parts, more N_dfa was translocated and stored in seeds than in stems + leaves and roots. The RAE values of the three PRs with respect to TSP (RAE = 100%) in terms of influencing the amount of BNF were Hahotoe rock = 3.0%, Tilemsi rock = 43.4%, and Sechura rock = 71.2%. A linear relationship was found between the amount of BNF by the whole soybean plant and the soybean seed yield.