Cover Crops and Soil Phosphorus Availability

Plants affect soil phosphorus (P) solubility through root exudates, but studies are lacking on species used as relay or cover crops in tropical environments. We evaluated the effect of cover crops on soil phosphorus (P) availability in an oxisol. Ruzigrass (Brachiaria ruziziensis), pearl millet (Pen...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis 2017-05, Vol.48 (10), p.1240-1246
Main Authors: Janegitz, Moniki Campos, Martins, Ana Rita Helene, Rosolem, Ciro Antonio
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adsorption
Agricultural practices
Availability
Capacity
Competition
Cover crops
Crop rotation
Cropping systems
Crops
Exudates
Exudation
fertilization
Microorganisms
Millet
Organic acids
Organic phosphorus
Organic soils
P adsorption
Pennisetum glaucum
Phenols
Phosphorus
Roots
Soil
soil phosphorus
Soils
Sorghum
Tropical climate
Tropical environments
Uptake
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Summary:Plants affect soil phosphorus (P) solubility through root exudates, but studies are lacking on species used as relay or cover crops in tropical environments. We evaluated the effect of cover crops on soil phosphorus (P) availability in an oxisol. Ruzigrass (Brachiaria ruziziensis), pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum), peanut (Arachis hypogaea), crambe (Crambe abyssinica), and sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) were grown in pots with soil. Phosphorus uptake, soil inorganic and organic P, maximum P adsorption capacity, and plant root systems were assessed. When root length density is high, the efficiency of P uptake is low due to root competition. Crambe results in greater soil P availability, while peanut and sorghum decrease the soil maximum P adsorption capacity, probably by exuding or stimulating microbial production of organic acids and phenolic compounds. Hence, crambe, peanut, and sorghum are species that may be of interest to increase P use efficiency in cropping systems.
ISSN:0010-3624
1532-2416
1532-4133
DOI:10.1080/00103624.2017.1341918