Phosphorus forms in soils under influence of liming and organic fertilization

The distribution of phosphorus forms in the different soil compartments (labile, little labile and non-labile) is very influenced by geochemical and biological processes and by human activities. To evaluate the effect of liming and cattle manure on soil phosphorus forms, four experiments were carried out in an entirely randomized design, in a 4 x 5 factorial layout with four repetions, in a greenhouse. The treatments consisted of four liming levels (0; 0.5, 1 and 2 times the recommended dose to reach V = 60 %) and five doses of cattle manure (0; 2.5, 5.0, 7.5 and 10 % of the total soil volume), applied on samples of four dm(3) of four soil types: sandy,orthic Quartzarenic Neosol, loamy clay dystrophic Red-Yellow Latosol, sandy clayey dystrophic Red-Yellow Latosol and a clayey dystrophic Red Latosol. Each soil represented an experiment. The concentrations of P (Mehlich-1) and the distribution of the labile (P-resin + Pi and Po-NaHCO3), little labile (Pi and Po-NaOH) and non-labile (P-HCl + P-residual) forms of phosphorus in the soil were evaluated. In general, the increment in the doses of cattle manure and lime promoted a significant increase in P (Mehlich-1) concentrations in the soil, mainly in the less oxidic, sandier. All P forms in the soils increased, but contribution of the little labile forms (Po linked to humic compounds and Pi bound to Fe and Al) was rather substantial, although the non-labile P form prevailed in these soils.