Morel, C., Ziadi, N., Messiga, A., Bélanger, G., Denoroy, P., Jeangros, B., Jouany, C., Fardeau, J. C., Mollier, A., Parent, L. E., Proix, N., Rabeharisoa, L. and Sinaj, S. 2014. Modeling of phosphorus dynamics in contrasting agroecosystems using long-term field experiments. Can. J. Soil Sci. 94: 377–387. Long-term field experiments on phosphorus (P) fertilization were originally designed to study crop needs in different soil types by analyzing the effects of several rates of P fertilization on yields, their P concentrations and dynamics of plant-available soil P. The objective of this study was to test a computer-based model to simulate the P dynamics at the field scale using plant database and analyzing for plant-available P by a hierarchical process-based approach. It predicts both the concentration (CP) of phosphate ions (Pi) in soil solution and the associated Pi amounts that in time equilibrate with Pi in solution. Five experiments, representative of contrasting soil types, land-use, and climates were selected. Our model equilibrates the change in plant-available P in the upper soil layer to the P budget between annual P inputs and outputs. Rates of P fertilization affected simulations following the same expected pattern across sites. Field-observed and simulated values are in good agreements in all sites. The field-observed variations of CP per unit of P budget ranged from 0.007 to 2.49 (µg P L−1) (kg P ha−1)−1. The predictions are of the same order of magnitude. Predictions were compared with empirical long-term data and mismatches were discussed. This investigation highlights the scientific interest of long-term field P experiments to test and validate models describing P dynamics at the scale of the agricultural fields under different agricultural management practices.
The influence of long-term fertilisation on phosphorus dynamics in the soil
