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ARS Home » Plains Area » Temple, Texas » Grassland Soil and Water Research Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #346893
Title: Corn biomass, uptake and fractionation of soil phosphorus in five soils amended with organic wastes as P fertilizers

Author
item RAMPHISA, PRUDENCE - Washington State University
item Collins, Harold
item BAIR, E - Consultant
item DAVENPORT, JOAN - Washington State University

Submitted to: Journal of Plant Nutrition
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/17/2019
Publication Date: 11/5/2019
Citation: Ramphisa, P., Collins, H.P., Bair, E.K., Davenport, J. 2019. Corn biomass, uptake and fractionation of soil phosphorus in five soils amended with organic wastes as P fertilizers. Journal of Plant Nutrition. 43(3):335-353. https://doi.org/10.1080/01904167.2019.1683194.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/01904167.2019.1683194

Interpretive Summary: Sustainable food production includes mitigating environmental pollution and avoiding unnecessary use of non-renewable mineral phosphate resources. While efficient phosphorus (P) utilization from organic wastes as alternative P fertilizer source is crucial, for alternative P sources to be adopted as fertilizers, predictable plant responses in terms of P uptake and plant growth and development is needed. A pot experiment was conducted to assess corn (Zea mays L) P uptake and plant growth in response to application of conventional inorganic P fertilizer and alternative organic P fertilizers in five soils. Results showed that alternative P fertilizers produced a comparable corn response (in biomass and tissue P) with conventional MAP when the soils had medium initial P content and lower iron and calcium content. In soils where initial P concentrations are lower and calcium or iron content are high, conventional P fertilizer was more effective in improving tissue P concentrations than the organic alternatives while composted chicken manure was more effective in improving plant biomass.

Technical Abstract: Sustainable food production includes mitigating environmental pollution and avoiding unnecessary use of non-renewable mineral phosphate resources. While efficient phosphorus (P) utilization from organic wastes as alternative P fertilizer source is crucial, for alternative P sources to be adopted as fertilizers, predictable plant responses in terms of P uptake and plant growth and development is needed. A pot experiment was conducted to assess corn (Zea mays L) P uptake and plant growth in response to application of conventional inorganic P fertilizer and alternative organic P fertilizers in five soils. Fertilizers were applied at a single P rate for each soil. P fertilizer sources used were: mono-ammonium phosphate (MAP), anaerobically digested (AD) dairy manure, composted chicken manure, vegetable compost and a no-P control. The five soils varied in soil texture and pH. Plant biomass ranged from highest to lowest as follows: Warden silt loam > Quincy sand = Skagit silt loam = Palouse silt loam > Houston clay. Corn biomass and tissue P concentrations only had significant differences in two soils (Warden and Quincy) by P fertilizer treatments, with greater shoot biomass with composted chicken manure and higher tissue P concentration was with MAP. Plant biomass ranged from highest to lowest with fertilizer treatment as follows: composted chicken manure > AD dairy = MAP = no-P control = vegetable compost. These results suggest that the conventional P fertilizer was more effective than the organic alternatives, although composted chicken manure outperformed MAP on two soils.