Phosphate supplying power of rock phosphates in an oxisol

Summary The P-supplying power of triple superphosphate, three apatitic rock phospates and a calcined aluminum rock phosphate were tested by measuring the quantities of fertilizer P recovered in soybean and in four chemical extractants, after 3-day and 75-day periods of contact between soil and fertilizer.The triple superphosphate supplied the highest amounts of P, but it lost efficiency during the longer incubation period. The rock phosphates maintained their original efficiencies, probably as a result of a balance between P released from the fertilizer and P converted into non-labile forms.The following coefficients of correlation between P uptake by soybean from an acid oxisol and P extracted by chemical extractants, after the two incubation periods, were found: 0.902^** for 0.01M CaCl₂; 0.823^** for anion-exchange resin; 0.720^** for 0.03N NH₄F+0.025N HCl; –0.037 (n.s.) for 0.025N H₂SO₄+0.050N HCl.The acid NH₄F solubilized residual calcined aluminum phosphate particles, and double acid extracted P from residual apatite particles, thus accounting for their poorer performances in predicting availability of fertilizer P.The relative efficiencies of the rock phosphates could largely be predicted after an incubation period of only three days. This finding attests to the presence in these rock phosphates of an easily soluble fraction of P which is not indicative of the degree of reactiveness of the phosphate as a whole.on leave at the Agricultural University during 1977.