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Increased availability of phosphorus after drying and rewetting of a grassland soil: processes and plant use

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Abstract

Aims

Drying and rewetting (DRW) often increases soil phosphorus (P) availability. Our aims were to elucidate underlying processes and assess potential plant uptake of released P.

Methods

Using a grassland soil with low available and high microbial P as a model, we studied the contributions of microbial and physicochemical processes to P release by determining DRW effects on i) C:P ratios of nutrient pulses in fresh and sterilized soils, ii) aggregate stability and iii) P forms released upon soil dispersion. Use of the P pulse by maize was examined in a bioassay and a split-root experiment.

Results

The strong P pulse after DRW was larger than that observed for C. Experiments with sterilized soil pointed to a non-microbial contribution to the pulse for P, but not for C. Aggregate disruption after DRW occurred due to slaking, and this released molybdate-reactive and -unreactive P. Maize benefitted from the P pulse only in the bioassay, i.e. when planted after the DRW cycle.

Conclusions

The majority of C and P released upon DRW originated from the microbial biomass, but for P release, physicochemical processes were also important. In the field, the released P would only be available to drought-resistant plants.

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Abbreviations

DRW:

Drying and rewetting

P:

Phosphorus

Corg :

Organic carbon

Ntot :

Total nitrogen

GWC:

Gravimetric water content

Presin :

Resin-extractable P

Phex :

Hexanol-labile P

CK2SO4 :

Organic C extractable with 0.5 M K2SO4

Cchl :

Chloroform-labile C

MRP:

Molybdate-reactive P

MUP:

Molybdate-unreactive P

MWD:

Mean weight diameter

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Olivier Huguenin-Elie (ART Reckenholz) for access to the field site, Django Hegglin and Simon Degelo for assistance during soil sampling and preparation, and Thomas Flura, Angela Erb and Fred Lamy for technical help in the lab.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH), Eschikon 33, 8315, Lindau, Switzerland

    E. K. Bünemann, B. Keller, D. Hoop, K. Jud & E. Frossard

  2. University of Applied Sciences of Western Switzerland (HES-SO), hepia Agronomy, 150 route de Presinge, Jussy, 1254, Geneva, Switzerland

    P. Boivin

Authors
  1. E. K. Bünemann
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  2. B. Keller
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  3. D. Hoop
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  4. K. Jud
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  5. P. Boivin
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  6. E. Frossard
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Correspondence to E. K. Bünemann.

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Responsible Editor: Hans Lambers.

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Bünemann, E.K., Keller, B., Hoop, D. et al. Increased availability of phosphorus after drying and rewetting of a grassland soil: processes and plant use. Plant Soil 370, 511–526 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-013-1651-y

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