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The fate of fertiliser P in soil under pasture and uptake by subterraneum clover – a field study using 33P-labelled single superphosphate

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Abstract

Background and aims

Single superphosphate (SSP) is a major source of phosphorus (P) used in grazing systems to improve pasture production. The aim of this experiment was to determine the fate of fertiliser P in clover pastures under field conditions.

Methods

A procedure was developed to radiolabel SSP granules with a 33P radiotracer, which was then applied to the soil surface (equivalent to ~12 kg P ha−1) of a clover pasture. Recovery of fertiliser P was determined in clover shoots, fertiliser granules and soil fractions (surface layer: 0–4 cm and sub-surface layer: 4–8 cm).

Results

The P diffusion patterns of the 33P-labelled SSP granules were not significantly different to those of commercial SSP granules (P > 0.05). Recovery of fertiliser P in clover shoots was 30–35 %. A considerable proportion of the fertiliser P (~28 %) was recovered in the surface soil layer and was largely inorganic P.

Conclusions

Recovery of fertiliser P by clover plants was up to 35 % in the year of application. Much of the fertiliser P in soil fractions was inorganic P, which highlights the importance of inorganic P forms and dynamics in soils under clover pasture on a single season timeframe at these sites.

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Abbreviations

ANOVA:

Analysis of variance

ASPAC:

Australasian Soil and Plant Analysis Council

EC:

Electrical conductivity

EDTA:

Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid

ICP-OES:

Inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy

LSC:

Liquid scintillation counter

NIST:

National Institute of Standards and Technology

P:

Phosphorus

PBI:

Phosphorus buffering index

PUE:

Phosphorus use efficiency

PVC:

Polyvinyl chloride cylinders

SSP:

Single superphosphate

WSP:

Water soluble phosphorus

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Acknowledgments

Financial support from Meat & Livestock Australia and the Australian Wool Innovation is gratefully acknowledged (Project: B.PUE.0102). The authors would like to thank Mr John Cooper, Mr Andrew Craig, Mr Colin Rivers, Ms Caroline Johnston, Mr Adam Stefanski and Ms Jane Carruthers for technical assistance. The authors are grateful to Dr John McIvor and Dr Merv Probert for constructive criticism on this manuscript. The authors appreciate the South Australian Research & Development Institute (SARDI) who provided land for this experiment.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Soils Group, School of Agriculture, Food and Wine and Waite Research Institute, The University of Adelaide, Urrbrae, 5064, SA, Australia

    Timothy I. McLaren, Michael J. McLaughlin, Therese M. McBeath & Ronald J. Smernik

  2. School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, 2350, NSW, Australia

    Timothy I. McLaren & Christopher N. Guppy

  3. CSIRO Land and Water, Glen Osmond, 5064, SA, Australia

    Michael J. McLaughlin

  4. CSIRO Agriculture Flagship, Glen Osmond, 5064, SA, Australia

    Therese M. McBeath

  5. CSIRO Agriculture Flagship, GPO Box 1600, Canberra, 2601, ACT, Australia

    Richard J. Simpson & Alan E. Richardson

Authors
  1. Timothy I. McLaren
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  2. Michael J. McLaughlin
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  3. Therese M. McBeath
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  4. Richard J. Simpson
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  7. Alan E. Richardson
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Correspondence to Timothy I. McLaren.

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McLaren, T.I., McLaughlin, M.J., McBeath, T.M. et al. The fate of fertiliser P in soil under pasture and uptake by subterraneum clover – a field study using 33P-labelled single superphosphate. Plant Soil 401, 23–38 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-015-2610-6

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