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Soil P Reaction
Soil P Reaction
Soil P Reaction
Phosphorus is required by the plant to form vital compounds Notice the hills and valleys of phosphorus fixation in Figure 1.
and to store and transfer energy for growth and reproduction. The highest fixation occurs in acid soils due to high iron
However, soil minerals and organic matter react quickly concentrations when the pH is less than 5. On the other end of
with soluble phosphorus fertilizer to create compounds with the spectrum, alkaline soils also create phosphorus-fixation
very low solubility. Because soil components and conditions problems due to high concentrations of calcium. In the
significantly affect the amount of phosphorus available, the following paragraphs, you will see what can be done in
ability to estimate soil phosphorus reactions is crucial. The each circumstance.
challenge is to manage these reactions so that crops have
Figure 1. Phosphorus Fixation
adequate supplies of available phosphorus.
Phosphorus Reactions with Soil Minerals Hill NO.1
Greatest
Am o unt o f P ho s pho rus F ix a tio n in the S o il
Fixation
Availability of phosphorus is primarily dependent upon the VERY HIGH
Range For Highest
Phosphorus Availability
phosphorus in the soil, and it is this interaction that affects Hill NO.3
Medium
phosphorus availability.
Phosphorus Valley
Phosphorus Fixation
Fixation Due NO.2
MEDIUM Fixation To Aluminum
By Iron
Most soils contain abundant quantities of iron and aluminum; Phosphorus
Fixation
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