Original Article | 2003, Vol.25, No.4, pp. 423-434
The status of phosphorus in Thai soils and P evaluation using EDTA-NaF extraction method
Phairat Phimsirikul and Toru Matoh
pp. 423 - 434
Abstract
Although the available P extracted by Bray II method in tropical soil is low, most of tropical plants can grow well. The objective of this study was to study P status and to evaluate the available P extracted by EDTA-NaF method. Top soil and sub soil of 10 dominant soil series in Thailand were analyzed for some chemical properties and characterization of the forms of phosphorus using EDTA-NaF extraction and successive phosphorus extraction by the modified Sekiya method. The soil total P concentration was 38-1137 mg P2O5 kg-1. The available Bray II-P was very low to high (1-76 mg P2O5 kg-1), and it approximated 0.17-12% of the total P. Iron and aluminum phosphates were the main fraction of inorganic P in acid soil, whereas Ca phosphates were in calcareous soils. Organic P content accounted for 33-67% and most of them were bound with Fe and Al in acid soils and Ca in calcareous soils. P extracted by EDTA-NaF reagent was obviously larger than that of Bray II reagent. The EDTA-NaF extracted P [high molecular weight organic P (HMWP)+ inorganic P (EDTA ext Pi)] was 7-46% and 1-6% of total P in acid soils and calcareous soils respectively. The EDTA ext Pi tended to be larger than HMWP except in Tk soil. The total amount of extracted P correlated well with Al-Pi and Fe-Pi which were the main fraction of inorganic P. It also correlated with HMWP, but HMWP did not correlate with organic P determine by ignition method and Ca-Po, Fe-Po and Al-Po. The EDTA-NaF method may be suitable for P evaluation in the soils which have high amounts of Fe-Pi , Al-Pi and organic P widely distributed in Thailand.
