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Predicting phosphate sorption in soils of mediterranean regions

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Abstract

Phosphate sorption curves give useful information about the management of the P fertility in soils. This study was conducted to examine how P sorption characteristics were influenced, and could be predicted from the properties of Mediterranean soils of Spain. The 114 soils studied differed widely in origin and properties and were grouped as calcareous (43) and noncalcareous (71). Citrate-bicarbonate-dithionite extractable Fe (Fed) and Al (Ald) and clay were the properties best correlated with the P sorbed and the P buffer capacity at an equilibrium concentration of 0.2 mg P l−1. This suggests that Fe oxides and silicate clays play a significant role in P sorption. Stepwise regression analysis showed, however, that clay was not a significant variable in the calcareous group, but active CaCO3 was. Prediction of the P sorption parameters was better for the noncalcareous than for the calcareous group. This reduced ability to predict P sorption in calcareous soils may be due to the inability of total or active CaCO3 to adequately measure the reactivity of carbonates towards P sorption. From 53 to 75% of the variation in P sorption parameters could be explained by regression equations including all or several of the following routinely-determined soil properties: clay, pH, Fed, and active CaCO3. These equations could, therefore, provide a simple and rapid estimation of P sorption in soils of Mediterranean regions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Ciencias y Recursos Agrícolas, Universidad de Córdoba, Apdo. 3048, 14080, Córdoba, Spain

    F. Peña & J. Torrent

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  1. F. Peña
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  2. J. Torrent
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Peña, F., Torrent, J. Predicting phosphate sorption in soils of mediterranean regions. Fertilizer Research 23, 173–179 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01073433

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01073433

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