Comparison of fractionation methods for soil phosphorus with soils subjected to various long-term fertilization regimes on a calcareous soil

Abstract

Background Diverse phosphorus (P) fractionation procedures presented varying soil P fractions, which directly affected P contents and forms, and their biological availability. Purpose To facilitate the selection of phosphorus (P) fractionation techniques, we compared two procedures based on a long-term experiment on a calcareous soil. Methods The soils containing a gradient P levels were sampled from seven treatments predictor under various long-term fertilizations. The P fractions were then separated independently with both fractionation procedures modified by Tiessen-Moir and Jiang-Gu. Results The results showed that the labile P in Jiang-Gu is significantly lower than that in Tiessen-Moir. The iron and aluminium-bounded P were greater in Jiang-Gu by a maximum of 46 mg kg−1 than Tiessen-Moir. Jiang-Gu fractionation gave similar Ca bounded P to that Tiessen-Moir did at low P level but greater contents at high P level. The two methods extracted much comparable total inorganic P. However, Tiessen-Moir method accounted less total organic P than ignition or Jiang-Gu method (the organic P (Po) estimated by subtract the total inorganic P (Pi) in Jiang-Gu fractionation from the total). P uptake by winter wheat was significantly and positively correlated with all phosphorus fractions in Jiang-Gu; Resin-P, NaHCO3-Pi, D. HCl-P, C. HCl-Pi, NaOH-Po, total-Po in Tiessen-Moir; P fraction categories of Ca-P, Fe & Al-P and total-Pi in both fractionations. Path coefficients indicated that Ca2-P in Jiang-Gu, NaHCO3-Pi and D. HCl-P in Tiessen-Moir had the higher and more significant direct contributions to P uptake among P fractions measured. Conclusions Our results suggested that Jiang-Gu procedure is a better predictor in soil P fractionation in calcareous soils, although it gives no results on organic P fractions.