The biological transformation of P in soil

Summary Organic forms of soil phosphorus (P_o) are an important source of available P for plants following mineralisation. The rates and pathways of P through soil organic matter are, however, poorly understood when compared to physco-chemical aspects of the P cycle. The essential role of soil microorganisms as a labile resercoir of P, confirmed experimentally and in modelling studies, has recently led to the development of methods for measuring thier P content. Incorporation in a new P fractionation scheme of these measurements with estimates of P_i and P_o fractions that vary in the exten toftheir availability to plants has enabled the dynamics of short-term soil P transformations to be investigated in relation to long-term changes observed in the field.Different types of soil P compounds that minearlise at different rates can now be measured directly in extracts by³¹P-nuclear magnetic resonance. Orthophosphate diesters, including phospholipids and nucleic acids, are the most readily mineralised group of these compounds. However, mineralisation rates rather than the amounts of types of P_o in soil ultimately control P availability to plants. These rates are influenced by a number of soil and site factors, as a sensitive new technique using [³²P] RNA has recently shown.These recent developments reflect a more holistic approach to investigation of the soil P cycle than in the past, which should lead to improved fertilizer management practices.Introductory lecture