Soil management effects on phosphorus sorption and external P requirement in oxisols of Malawi

Abstract

Oxisols are one of the major soils of Malawi and they are high in P sorption. Conservation agriculture has been practiced on this soil for some years now but soil management effects on P sorption and external P requirement (EPR) of Oxisols in Malawi have not, however, been determined. Soil management effects on P sorption and EPR of Oxisols in Malawi were therefore determined in the present study. The effects studied were conventional tillage (CT), no-tillage (NT) and crop rotation (CR). The soils differed considerably in their sorption characteristics, with the sorption maxima ranging from 413 to 345 mg P kg -1 . Differences in sorption maxima and affinity due to soil management effects were statistically significantly (P ≤ 0.05). The sorption affinity (b) values ranged from 0.48 to 0.72 dm 3 mg -1 and differences due to soil management effects were statistically significant (P ≤ 0.05) only between conventional tillage (CT) and no tillage (NT) or crop rotation (CR). The sorption affinity due to NT was not statistically significant from that of CR. The b values were the highest in soils that had been subjected to CT.

Phosphorus adsorption in a degraded soil under forestry recovery after bauxite mining in Paragominas, eastern Amazon, Brazil

“…Soil management practices, which decrease soil recovery, as well as biomass and organic matter (such as some planting practices found in restoration areas), might boost the appearance of exchangeable aluminum, as well as the Fe and Al oxides. This can increase soil phosphorus retention, decreasing its availability (Mnthambala et al, 2016). This highlights the importance of knowledge about P adsorption and availability in proper management practices, which can significantly influence biomass and ground cover production and, consequently, nutrient cycling and replenishment (Yang et al, 2019;Sun et al, 2020).…”

Phosphate leachate losses in sandy soil amended with different fertilizers and effects on cowpea yield

“…So much have been documented on phosphorus losses from soil solution through fixation by soil colloids (White et al, 2021;Yang et al, 2019;Asomaning et al, 2018;Lumbanraja et al, 2018;Manthambala et al, 2016;Anetor and Omueti, 2014;Osundare, 2014;Olatunji, 2011;Oyeyiola and Omueti, 2010) but little is known of phosphorus losses through leaching especially in Nigerian sandy soils managed dominantly by chemical fertilizers. A column leaching experiment was therefore carried out in Ogbomoso, Southwestern Nigeria between February and May, 2019 to quantify the contributions of different fertilizers to phosphate leachate losses in a sandy soil.…”