Seasonal and fertilizer effects on the organic cycle and microbial biomass in a hill country soil under pasture

Soil Research ◽  
1992 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 383 ◽  
Author(s):  
KW Perrott ◽  
SU Sarathchandra ◽  
BW Dow

A two year investigation of soil phosphorus and the soil organic cycle was carried out on a typical hill country site in the North Island, New Zealand. This included investigation of changes in soil phosphorus, as well as seasonal and fertilizer (superphosphate) effects on soil microbial phosphorus and sulfur, sodium bicarbonate extractable phosphorus and calcium chloride extractable sulfur. No net utilization of soil organic phosphorus occurred when application of phosphate fertilizer was withheld. On the contrary, accumulation of organic phosphorus was found in both fertilized and unfertilized plots. Immobilization of inorganic phosphorus into organic forms appeared to be a significant factor in fertilizer phosphorus requirements at this site. It was also a significant cause of the decline in the soil phosphorus status when no fertilizer was applied. Despite declining pasture production, there were no effects of withholding superphosphate on the soil biological cycle as measured by soil microbial phosphorus and sulfur, total organic phosphorus and sodium bicarbonate extractable organic phosphorus. However, seasonal variations occurred indicating storage and release of phosphorus by the soil organic matter and microbial biomass. Release of phosphorus occurred during periods of rapid pasture growth and could account for phosphorus uptake by the pasture at those times.

Author(s):  
K.W. Perrott

Changes in phosphorus (P) fractions of unfertilised and fertilised (superphosphate) soil were investigated over five years at a hill country site near Te Kuiti. Only soil inorganic P (Pi) reserves were utilised for plant uptake when superphosphate was withheld at the site. Immobilisation of P as soil organic P (PO) contributed to depletion of the soil Pi reserves during the first two years of this trial. Where superphosphate was applied, immobilisation of P as PO amounted to about 25% of applied P during the five years measurements were made. Changes in soil P fractions indicated that all forms of soil Pi were utilised when superphosphate was withheld. These included readily available Pi, Al- Pi, Fe-Pi, and residual phosphate rock from previous fertiliser applications. Depletion of the phosphate rock residues in the soil also occurred where superphosphate was applied and appears to have been completed within about two years. The phosphate rock residues had probably accumulated because of the relatively high amounts of unacidulated phosphate rock in superphosphate manufactured before 1983. Accumulation of Po associated with humic acid, or adsorbed on surfaces of hy drous oxides of Al and Fe, occurred in both fertilised and unfertilised soils. The more labile forms of PO also increased in the fertilised soil. Keywords inorganic phosphorus, organic phosphorus, phosphorus immobilisation, soil phosphorus, soil phosphorus fractions, soil phosphorus utilisation.


Soil Research ◽  
1990 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 593 ◽  
Author(s):  
KW Perrott ◽  
SU Sarathchandra ◽  
JE Waller

Seasonal and fertilizer effects on forms of soil phosphorus and potassium, partially decomposed organic debris and enzyme activities were studied over 2 years on a highly fertile yellow-brown loam (Typic Vitrandept) under grazed pasture. Fertilizer topdressing (potassic superphosphate) increased total inorganic phosphorus, NaHCO3-extractable inorganic phosphorus and NaHCO3- extractable potassium, but did not affect organic forms of phosphorus, microbial biomass potassium and phosphorus, or organic debris. Labile organic phosphorus (extracted by NaHCO3), microbial phosphorus and potassium, and organic debris accumulated over winter and declined in spring. Inter-year differences in climatic factors appeared to influence this basic pattern. Amounts of phosphorus released from labile organic and microbial phosphorus during spring were large (totalling 29 kg P ha-1 in one year) and could contribute substantially to plant P requirements. Mechanisms are proposed to explain the observed seasonal patterns in these soil characteristics. These include changes in the relative amounts of the fungal and bacterial components of the soil biomass during winter, mineralization of labile PI in spring due to increased bacterial growth and activity promoted by plant growth, and the subsequent release of P and K from the microbial biomass as a result of bacterial 'grazing' by protozoa.


1938 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 234-246 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. A. Dean

1. Extractions of soils with sodium hydroxide, followed by an acid, have been used in an attempt to fractionate the soil phosphorus.2. Colorimetric methods for the estimation of the organic and inorganic phosphorus in alkali soil extracts have been suggested.3. The amount of soil phosphorus soluble in sodium hydroxide is affected by the active soil calcium. It is suggested that sodium-saturated soils be used when studying the alkali-soluble phosphorus.4. The acid-soluble phosphorus remaining in soil after extraction with sodium hydroxide was determined. This fraction appears by analogy to be similar to the apatites.5. The largest fraction of the total soil phosphorus was not dissolved by the sodium hydroxide and acid extractions. This fraction was not increased by the long-continued use of phosphatic fertilizers at Rothamsted and Woburn.6. Relatively large amounts of organic phosphorus were found in soils and the amounts were closely related to the carbon contents.


1960 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 71-79
Author(s):  
H. A. Hamilton ◽  
J. R. Lessard

Soil samples were collected at four different depths from a virgin soil, and in a region where deep ploughing has been a common practice. Chemical analyses revealed that the sub-surface samples were more highly saturated with bases than were the surface samples. In the 0–6 inch layer the percentage contribution of calcium, aluminium and iron phosphate to total soil phosphorus was 41.1, 10.4 and 2.8 respectively; while, in the 18–24 inch layer the percentages were 88.4, 2.8 and 0.5 respectively. Organic phosphorus decreased with depth.In the greenhouse there were highly significant differences between oat yields on the various layers, the surface soil giving the highest yields. Clover crop yields tended to be better as depth of profile increased. Phosphorus increased oat yields and clover yields on all soil layers. As a result of over-liming in certain instances clover yields were depressed in the absence of applied phosphate fertilizer, whereas oat yields were unaffected.


2012 ◽  
Vol 77 (7) ◽  
pp. 971-981 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nasser Amaizah ◽  
Dragan Cakmak ◽  
Elmira Saljnikov ◽  
Goran Roglic ◽  
Vesna Mrvic ◽  
...  

The changes in inorganic and organic phosphorus (P) fractions of soil resulting from long-term fertilization (40 years) were investigated. In order to improve understanding of the sink and sources of phosphorus, P-fractions were extracted from soil samples of 0-30 and 30-60 cm depth with different amounts of monoammonium-phosphate (MAP) and then determined. Stagnosol was the type of the studied soil. Phosphate fertilizer was applied in 26, 39 and 52 kgP/ha amounts during the period of 40 years. Samples were subjected to sequential extraction according to the modified Chang and Jackson method and BCR (Community Bureau of Reference) sequential extraction procedure in order to extract different forms of phosphorus. The Certified Reference material CRM 684 (River Sediment Extractable Phosphorus) was used to provide accuracy of the instrument and both used methods. Furthermore, the association of phosphorus with substrates was provided by comparison of the results of sequential methods of phosphorus species with the sequential extraction of metals (Fe, Al, Mn and Ca). Results of continuous fertilization during 40 years indicated the increase of all the phosphorus forms in the soil except of phosphorus bound to calcium and organic phosphorus. Application of higher amounts of P-fertilizer resulted in dominance of Al-P fraction in studied soil which indicated that this fraction was the most responsible for the migration of phosphorus along the soil profile.


2012 ◽  
Vol 518-523 ◽  
pp. 4801-4805
Author(s):  
Li Xin Chen ◽  
Wen Biao Duan

Variation in total phosphorus (TP), available phosphorus (AP), the forms of organic phosphorus (OP) and inorganic phosphorus (IP) in rhizosphere soil (RS) and non-rhizosphere soil (NRS) at different development stages in larch (Larix olgensis) plantations was quantitively studied through field investigation, chemical analysis and statistical test. The results indicated that: AP, O-P (occluded phosphate), TP, OP in RS exhibited a significantly or apparently decreased tendency over stand age, but IP, Ca-P (phosphate combined with calcium) and Fe-P (phosphate combined with Ferrum) in RS presented a significantly or apparently increased trend when stand age increased; Ca-P in NRS increased when stand age became larger; Fe-P in half-mature stand (HMS), AP and Fe-P in near mature stand (NMS), AP and Ca-P in mature stand (MS) in NRS was higher than in RS


Author(s):  
K.W. Perrott ◽  
S.U. Sarathchandra

Significant quantities of phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N) are present in the soil microbes compared with pasture requirements for these nutrients. Seasonal and fertiliser effects on microbial P and N were investigated in a controlled environment (CE) experiment, two field trials and a glasshouse trial. In the CE experiment there was a basic seasonal pattern of storage of P and N by the microbial biomass over "winter" and release of these nutrients in "spring". Climatic variations affected this pattern in the field trials. Withholding fertiliser did not affect soil microbial P and N in the field trials, despite a decline in pasture production of up to 20%. Soil microbial P and N did decline in the glasshouse trial, in which a much larger drop in herbage production (X30%) was induced by nutrient deficiency. Keywords soil microbial biomass, microbial phosphorus, microbial nitrogen, seasonal effects, withholding fertiliser, plant nutrients


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