Comparing two theories about the nature of soil phosphate

Two theories about the nature of phosphate in soil are current. One holds that soil phosphate is mostly present as particles of iron, aluminium and calcium phosphates: the precipitate‐particulate theory. The other holds that phosphate is mostly adsorbed and penetrates heterogeneous, variable‐charge...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:European journal of soil science 2021-03, Vol.72 (2), p.679-685
Main Author: Barrow, N. J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aluminium
Aluminum
Calcium
Calcium phosphates
Fertilization
P availability and pH
P fertilising
P fractions
P penetration
P sorption
Phosphate
Phosphates
Soil
Soils
Theories
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Summary:Two theories about the nature of phosphate in soil are current. One holds that soil phosphate is mostly present as particles of iron, aluminium and calcium phosphates: the precipitate‐particulate theory. The other holds that phosphate is mostly adsorbed and penetrates heterogeneous, variable‐charge particles: the adsorption‐penetration theory. This is the only theory that is consistent with and can be deduced from observations. It is my contention that the persistence of the precipitate‐particulate theory leads to: wasted research effort in trying to identify the supposed phosphate fractions; failure to recognize the long‐term changes in soil phosphate due to repeated applications, and thus to over‐fertilisation; and misapprehension about the effects of pH on phosphate availability.
ISSN:1351-0754
1365-2389
DOI:10.1111/ejss.13027