Nano and fine colloids suspended in the soil solution regulate phosphorus desorption and lability in organic fertiliser-amended soils.

Mobile colloids impact phosphorus (P) binding and transport in agroecosystems. However, their relationship to P-lability and their relative importance to P-bioavailability is unclear. In soils amended with organic fertilisers, we investigated the effects of nano (NC; 1-20 nm), fine (FC; 20-220 nm), and medium (MC; 220-450 nm) colloids suspended in soil solution on soil P-desorption and lability. The underlying hypothesis is that mobile colloids of different sizes, i.e., NC, FC, and MC, may contribute differently to P-lability in soils enriched with organic fertiliser. NC- and FC-bound Pcoll were positively correlated with P-lability parameters from diffusive gradient in thin films (DGTA-labile P concentration, r ≥ 0.88; and DGTA-effective P concentration, r ≥ 0.87). The corresponding relations with MC-bound Pcoll are weaker (r values of 0.50 and 0.51). NC- and FC-bound Pcoll were also strongly correlated with soil P-resupply (r ≥ 0.64) and desorption (r ≥ 0.79) parameters during DGTA deployment, and the mobility of these colloids was corroborated by electron microscopy of DGTA gels. MC-bound Pcoll was negatively correlated with the solid-to-solution distribution coefficient (r = -0.42), indicating this fraction is unlikely to be the source of P-release from the solid phase after P-depletion from the soil solution. We conclude that NC and FC mainly contribute to regulating soil desorbable-P supply to the soil solution in the DGTA depletion zone (in vitro proxy for plant rhizosphere), and consequently may act as critical conditioners of P-bioavailability, whereas MC tends to form complexes that lead to P-occlusion rather than lability.

Nano and micro manure amendments decrease degree of phosphorus saturation and colloidal phosphorus release from agriculture soils.

The manure fertilizer increases the phosphorus (P) saturation of soils and the colloidal P release to water bodies. Manure of different particle-sizes may have different effects on colloidal P release by soil, and to date there is limited knowledge on colloidal P release from soils amended with different size manures. We produced sheep micro- (SMicro) and nano-manure (SNano), and poultry micro- (PMicro), nano-manure (PNano) from bulk samples by wet fractionation method. The fractionation reduced the P contents of micro- and nano-manures, and enriched them in ash and calcium, iron (Fe), magnesium, and aluminum (Al) phosphate minerals compared with the bulk manures. The degree of P saturation (DPS) in Anthorsol and Cambisol was decreased (SMicro, 17.6 and 17.2 %; SNano, 14.5 and 13.3 % and PMicro, 19.0 and 19.7 mg kg-1; PNano, 17.0 and 14.3 mg kg-1) and released less colloidal P (SMicro, 3.12 and 3.78 mg kg-1; SNano, 3.01 and 3.56 mg kg-1 and PMicro, 3.34 and 3.92 mg kg-1; PNano, 3.21 and 3.65 mg kg-1) than the soils receiving the bulk manures. The decrease in colloidal P was correlated with less DPS in both soils amended with micro and nano manures. That is, the only measurable effect of manure particle size on colloidal P release from the amended soils was due to chemical fractionation during separation of the size fractions. It was suggested that nano and micro manures were the effective approach to reduce colloidal P release from manure amended soils.

Pteris vittata plantation decrease colloidal phosphorus contents by reducing degree of phosphorus saturation in manure amended soils.

The agricultural use of manure fertilizer increases the phosphorus (P) saturation of soils and the risk of colloidal P (Pcoll) release to aquatic ecosystems. Two experiments were conducted to identify whether Pteris vittata plantation can decrease Pcoll contents in two soils (Cambisol and Anthrosol) amended with various manure P rates (0, 10, 25, and 50 mg P kg-1 of soil). The total Pcoll contents in manured soil without P. vittata were 1.14-3.37 mg kg-1 (Cambisol), and 0.01-2.83 mg kg-1 (Anthrosol) across manure-P rates. The corresponding values with P. vittata were 0.97-2.33 mg kg-1 (Cambisol) and 0.005-1.6 mg kg-1 (Anthrosol). Experimentally determined colloidal minerals (Fe, Al, Ca), colloidal total organic carbon, Mehlich-3 nutrients (Fe, Al, and Ca), and the degree of P saturation were good predictors of Pcoll concentrations in both soils with and without P. vittata plantation. In unplanted soils, P adsorption decreased and the degree of P saturation increased which released more Pcoll. However, P. vittata plantation decreased the Pcoll release and P loss risk due to the increase of P adsorption and reduced DPS in both soils. The P fractions (NaOH, NH4F, and HCl-P) contributed to increase the P pool in planted soils which enhanced the bioavailability of Pcoll and increased the P. vittata biomass. It suggested that P. vittata plantation was an effective approach to reduce Pcoll release from manure amended soils.

Transformation of Calcium Phosphates in Alkaline Vertisols by Acidified Incubation.

Acid-soluble soil phosphorus (P) is a potential resource in P-limited agricultural systems that may become critical as global P sources decrease in the future. The fate of P in three alkaline Vertisols, a major agricultural soil type, after acidic incubation was investigated using synchrotron-based K-edge X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy, geochemical modeling, wet chemistry soil extraction, and a P sorption index. Increases in labile P generally coincided with decreased stability and dissolution of calcium phosphate (CaP) minerals. However, only a minor proportion of the CaP dissolved in each soil was labile. In two moderate-P soils (800 mg P kg-1), XANES indicated that approximately 160 mg kg-1 was repartitioned to sorbed phases at pH 5.1 of one soil and at pH 4.4 of the second; however, only 40 and 28% were labile, respectively. In a high-P soil (8900 mg P kg-1), XANES indicated a decrease in P of 1170 mg kg-1 from CaP minerals at pH 3.8, of which approximately only 33% was labile. Phosphorus mobilized by agricultural practices without concurrent uptake by plants may be repartitioned to sorbed forms that are not as plant-available as prior to acidification.

XANES Demonstrates the Release of Calcium Phosphates from Alkaline Vertisols to Moderately Acidified Solution.

Calcium phosphate (CaP) minerals may comprise the main phosphorus (P) reserve in alkaline soils, with solubility dependent on pH and the concentration of Ca and/or P in solution. Combining several techniques in a novel way, we studied these phenomena by progressively depleting P from suspensions of two soils (low P) using an anion-exchange membrane (AEM) and from a third soil (high P) with AEM together with a cation-exchange membrane. Depletions commenced on untreated soil, then continued as pH was manipulated and maintained at three constant pH levels: the initial pH (pHi) and pH 6.5 and 5.5. Bulk P K-edge X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy revealed that the main forms of inorganic P in each soil were apatite, a second more soluble CaP mineral, and smectite-sorbed P. With moderate depletion of P at pHi or pH 6.5, CaP minerals became more prominent in the spectra compared to sorbed species. The more soluble CaP minerals were depleted at pH 6.5, and all CaP minerals were exhausted at pH 5.5, showing that the CaP species present in these alkaline soils are soluble with decreases of pH in the range achievable by rhizosphere acidification.

Phosphorus fertilizer and grazing management effects on phosphorus in runoff from dairy pastures.

Fertilizer phosphorus (P) and grazing-related factors can influence runoff P concentrations from grazed pastures. To investigate these effects, we monitored the concentrations of P in surface runoff from grazed dairy pasture plots (50 x 25 m) treated with four fertilizer P rates (0, 20, 40, and 80 kg ha(-1) yr(-1)) for 3.5 yr at Camden, New South Wales. Total P concentrations in runoff were high (0.86-11.13 mg L(-1)) even from the control plot (average 1.94 mg L(-1)). Phosphorus fertilizer significantly (P < 0.001) increased runoff P concentrations (average runoff P concentrations from the P(20), P(40), and P(80) treatments were 2.78, 3.32, and 5.57 mg L(-1), respectively). However, the magnitude of the effect of P fertilizer varied between runoff events (P < 0.01). Further analysis revealed the combined effects on runoff P concentration of P rate, P rate x number of applications (P < 0.001), P rate x time since fertilizer (P < 0.001), dung P (P < 0.001), time since grazing (P < 0.05), and pasture biomass (P < 0.001). A conceptual model of the sources of P in runoff comprising three components is proposed to explain the mobilization of P in runoff and to identify strategies to reduce runoff P concentrations. Our data suggest that the principal strategy for minimizing runoff P concentrations from grazed dairy pastures should be the maintenance of soil P at or near the agronomic optimum by the use of appropriate rates of P fertilizer.