Effect of liming and air-drying on the adsorption of phosphate by some acid soils

The effect of liming the A and B horizons of a number of acid soils on the subsequent adsorption of phosphate by soils retained moist or allowed to dry was investigated. Air-drying increased the phosphate adsorption capacity but the reason was not clear. When A horizons were maintained moist, incubation with lime for six weeks increased phosphate adsorption by four samples and had no effect on another. When A horizons were air-dried, the effect was considerably reduced or reversed. For B horizons, which had considerably greater phosphate adsorption capacities than A horizons, liming decreased phosphate adsorption irrespective of whether the soils remained moist or were dried. The relative decrease in adsorption was, however, greater when the soils were dried. In a more detailed study using one acid soil it was shown that incubation of the soil with lime for six weeks had no effect on phosphate adsorption by moist A and B horizons but after 36 weeks incubation liming decreased adsorption by the moist samples. If soils were dried then liming decreased phosphate adsorption after six or 36 weeks incubation. Such relative effects of liming on phosphate adsorption were confounded by the fact that air-drying greatly increased the phosphate adsorption capacity of the unlimed soil. The drying effect was at least partially reversible following rewetting of the soil. Results were interpreted in terms of the lime-induced increase in soil pH causing (i) the surface charge conferred on soil oxide surfaces to become more negative (thus decreasing phosphate adsorption) and (ii) the precipitation of exchangeable Al as hydroxy-Al polymers resulting in the formation of new, highly active, adsorbing surfaces (thus increasing phosphate adsorption). Phosphate adsorption by moist limed soils can, therefore, be increased, decreased or unaffected depending on the relative magnitudes of these two processes. It is suggested that after liming, and/or air-drying, crystallization of amorphous materials progressively decreases their surface area and adsorbing capacity. Thus, liming tends to decrease phosphate adsorption when the soils are dried.     

Transformation and bioavailability of specifically sorbed phosphate on variable-charge minerals in soils

Crop production on red soils in China is largely limited by the low availability of phosphorus, which is frequently attributed to the adsorption of phosphate by variable-charge minerals including Fe and Al oxides and kaolinite. Isotopic tracing analysis and soil incubation were carried out to investigate the desorption and microbial transformation of applied specifically sorbed P in two pH-contrasting light-textured soils. A rapid release of P from the added mineral-P surface complex in the two tested soils was observed. Most of the released P was recovered in a 0.5MNaHCO₃ extract and in soil microbial biomass. Microbial biomass-³²P was detected at early stages of incubation and reached up to 10–30% of the added ³²P. Approximately 50–70% of the added complex ³²P, varying between minerals and soils, was extractable in the 0.5MNaHCO₃ at 75 days after incubation for the acid soil but up to 120 days for the neutral soil. Microbial biomass-P plus 0.5MNaHCO₃-extractable ³²P accounted for more than 60–80% of total added complex-³²P, implying high desorption and transformation of the specifically sorbed P in the two soils. There was more inorganic ³²P than organic ³²P in the NaHCO₃ extract, suggesting that chemical release of specifically sorbed P was dominant. Ligand exchange and chemical desorption due to a change in environmental conditions such as pH and ionic strength are likely the major mechanisms responsible for the chemical release of specifically sorbed ³²P in the tested soils. Received: 29 September 1996     

Influence of air drying and soil gas‐phase carbon dioxide on DTPA‐extractable iron in calcareous soils

Abstract

The extraction of a field‐moist soil with DTPA will result in a level of extractable iron (Fe) lower than that of the air‐dried soil. Soil gas‐phase carbon dioxide (CO₂) levels may be considerably higher than ambient atmospheric levels, especially in wet soils in the field. This study was undertaken to determine whether gas‐phase CO₂ level influences the quantity of Fe extracted by DTPA. Three moist calcareous soils were incubated for 21 days, each at three different partial pressures of CO₂, after which the moist soils were extracted with DTPA. A sample of each soil was also air dried, and was subsequently extracted with DTPA. In each case, DTPA‐extractable Fe from the moist sample was lower than that from the air‐dried sample; however, DTPA‐extractable Fe increased with increasing CO₂ partial pressure of in the moist soils. DTPA‐extractable Fe concentration for a given soil following air drying was not significantly influenced by the CO₂ partial pressure during incubation of the originally field‐moist soil. DTPA‐extract pH of the moist soils followed the same trend as soil‐solution pH (i.e., as CO₂ concentration of the soil gas‐phase increased, soil solution pH and DTPA extract pH both decreased); however, the slope of the pH versus log P_CO2 curve was less pronounced in the DTPA extract due to the buffering capacity of the triethanolamine. From this study, it is concluded that elevated soil gas‐phase CO₂ partial pressure does not contribute to the lower level of DTPA‐extractable Fe observed when the extraction is performed on a field‐moist versus an air‐dried soil; increased CO₂ partial pressure actually resulted in a slight increase in concentration of DTPA‐extractable Fe obtained from a field‐moist soil.     

The effect of soil flooding on the transformation of Fe oxides and the adsorption/desorption behavior of phosphate

As repeatedly reported, soil flooding improves the availability of P to rice. This is in contrast with an increased P sorption in paddy soils. The effects of soil flooding on the transformation of Fe oxides and the adsorption/desorption of P of two paddy soils of Zhejiang Province in Southeast‐China were studied in anaerobic incubation experiments (submerging with water in N₂ atmosphere). Soil flooding significantly increased oxalate‐extractable Fe (Fe_ox), mainly at the expense of dithionite‐soluble Fe (Fe_DCB), as well as oxalate‐extractable P (P_ox), but decreased the ratio of P_ox/Fe_ox. Flooding largely increased both, P adsorption and the maximum P adsorption capacity. The majority of newly sorbed P in the soils was P_ox, but also more newly retained P was found to be not extractable by oxalate. Flooding also changed the characteristics of P desorption in the soils. Due to a decrease of the saturation index of the P sorption capacity, P adsorbed by flooded soils was much less desorbable than that from non‐flooded soils. There are obviously significant differences in the nature of both, the Fe_ox and P_ox fractions under non‐flooded and flooded conditions. The degree of the changes in Fe_ox, P_ox, P adsorption and P desorption by flooding depended on the contents of amorphous and total Fe oxides in non‐flooded soils. Our results confirm that the adsorption and desorption behavior of P in paddy soils is largely controlled by the transformation of the Fe oxides. The reasons of the often‐reported improved P availability to rice induced by flooding, in spite of the unfavorable effect on P desorbability, are discussed.     

Phosphate adsorption by dark alkaline vertisols in Greece

Phosphorus adsorption isotherms are presented for samples from agricultural areas in central Greece. The soils contain montmorillonitic clays, have high exchange capacities and range in pH from 6.8 to 8.1. The amounts of P adsorption are high for surface and subsurface samples and are comparable to the adsorption observed in acid kaolinitic soils. The fit of the Freundlich equation to the experimental data was significantly improved when NaHCO₃ extractable P was used as an estimate of the labile soil P to account for P already adsorbed in the soil. No conclusive relationship was established between the Freundlich parameters and selected soil properties though in some cases a values (capacity term) increased with increasing organic carbon content.     

Manganese extracted from different chemical fractions of bulk and rhizosphere soil as affected by method of sample preparation

Abstract

Rhizosphere soils had higher amounts of ‘readily soluble’, ‘weakly adsorbed’, ‘carbonate bound’ and ‘specifically adsorbed’ Mn, but had lower amounts of ‘oxide‐Mn’, than did bulk soils. This observation was true regardless of whether the comparison was based on values within moist or air‐dried treatments. Observed trends in Mn distribution between different soil fractions were qualitatively similar regardless of method of sample preparation. However, there were substantial quantitative differences depending on the method of sample preparation. Air‐dried samples increased significantly in the ‘oxide‐Mn’ fraction and decreased in its soluble and adsorbed fractions relative to moist soil samples. There was a significant effect of method of air‐drying on the distribution of Mn in rhizosphere samples. Samples that were extracted moist at first and then air‐dried accumulated more adsorbed Mn and were depleted in ‘oxide‐Mn’ relative to samples that were air‐dried initially. There was a significant rhizosphere x air‐drying interaction. Air‐drying of some rhizosphere samples resulted in a significant underestimation of the ‘readily soluble’, ‘specifically adsorbed’, and ‘oxide‐Mn’ fractions beyond the overall effect of air‐drying. The results of this study suggested that soil samples used for Mn analyses be extracted immediately in a moist condition rather than air‐dried, particularly for analyses of rhizosphere soil samples.     

The effects of pH and drying on adsorption of phosphate by aluminium-organic matter associations

The effects of pH value and of drying on phosphate adsorption by Al-peat and Al-humate associations were investigated. Raising the pH of the Al-organic matter associations from 3 to 7, by addition of Ca(OH)₂, greatly increased their phosphate adsorption capacity. There was a pronounced increase in phosphate adsorption as a result of drying the limed, Al-organic matter associations, but when equilibration time was increased phosphate adsorption by moist Al-peat samples approached that of the dried samples, indicating that the drying effect was at least partially caused by incomplete equilibration of P in the moist samples. In contrast, increasing the equilibration time did not alter the magnitude of the pH effect.
A detailed study was made of the adsorption of phosphate both by Al-peat limed to pH 7.0, and by its constituent components Ca-peat (pH 7.0) and hydroxy-Al (pH 7.0), synthesized separately then mixed together. For limed Al-peat, drying increased phosphate adsorption, whereas for the individually synthesized components in combination the reverse was true. Thus, the limed Al-peat behaved differently to its components.
The increasing adsorption of phosphate by Al-organic matter complexes with rising pH was attributed to increasing hydrolysis and polymerization of hydroxy-Al associated with the organic matter. However, the interaction of organic matter with hydroxy-Al would block many phosphate adsorption sites on the hydroxy-Al. Upon drying, it is suggested that the organic matter condenses and the accessibility of phosphate to adsorption sites on the hydroxy-Al is increased. Thus, drying resulted in increased phosphate adsorption.     

Effects of drying and wetting on extractable aluminum in strongly acid soils and in aluminum-saturated clays

A number of field-moist strongly acid soils, NaObr-treated soils, and Al-saturated clays were subjected to drying and wetting treatments in the laboratory. Oven drying of samples resulted in decreases in extractable Al and increases in extractable H from field-moist soils containing more than 12 mequiv./100 g exchange acidity and from Al-saturated clays, and wetting the samples resulted in the reverse. However, when field-moist soil samples containing less than 7 mequiv./100 g exchange acidity were oven dried, both the extractable Al and extractable H tended to increase. Removing organic matter with NaOBr from a soil sample low in exchange acidity resulted in a change from an increase to a decrease in extractable Al upon oven drying. In all cases, the extractable Al and extractable H contents fluctuated cyclically with repeated drying and wetting. The cause for the observed changes was attributed to Al hydrolysis, with additional influence from soil acidity buffering, Al interlayer formation, and inorganic and organic matter dissolution.     

Air Drying Affects Extractable Sulfate in Soils of Variable Charge: Test of Two Extraction and Two Quantification Methods

Abstract

Fertilizer recommendations need to be based on reliable soil sulfate determinations. Airdrying samples changes irreversibly many properties of soils with variable charge and might affect the extractable sulfate. In this study, sulfate extracted from air‐dry and field‐moist samples was compared. Two extracting solutions [water and 00.1 M Ca(H₂PO₄) ₂] and two quantification methods (turbidimetry and ion chromatography) were assayed on A and B horizon samples of five Humic Acrisols from southeast Mexico. Air drying increased water‐extractable sulfate in Ah horizons, whereas in Bt horizons, it increased the 00.1 M Ca(H₂PO₄)₂‐extractable sulfate. Airdrying increased dissolved organic carbon contents in all samples and increased soil acidity and oxalate extractable iron in 70 and 60% of the samples, respectively. Results showed larger coefficients of variation in air‐dried samples. Turbidimetry resulted less sensible than ion chromatography. To enhance sensitivity and reproducibility, particularly organic soil samples should be analyzed field‐moist and by ion chromatography.     

淹水条件下施加石灰和有机质对酸性土壤性质和磷吸附的影响

每公斤土加入2克碳酸钙和(或)三叶草的5个老成土和1个氧化土,在淹水培育45天后风干,结果发现:(1)淹水土壤风干,其pH比淹水时低,但仍比未淹水的高;(2)淹水降低了土壤中0.5MCuCl₂提取的铝量,石灰和三叶草处理使3个轻质土中的铝量进一步降低,但3个粘质土则呈现相反的趋势;(3)改良剂使3个轻质土吸附的磷减少,而使3个粘质土吸附的磷增加。前者增加的原因是因为通过还原作用和氧化作用形成了较多的活性表面,而后者的减少则可能是粘粒表面所形成的水化氧化物胶膜堵塞了原有的吸附位,从而使吸附位减少(4)改良剂对磷解吸的影响,是降低了3个轻质土的磷解吸,而增加了3个粘质土的磷解吸;(5)经淹水风干处理土壤的磷吸附量与草酸盐提取的铁、铝、锰及CuCl₂溶液提取的铝有很高的相关性,表明控制淹水土壤磷吸持的土壤组分,不仅包括无定形铁,而且也包括羟基铝聚合物。     

Adsorption of Phosphate on Variable Charge Soils

The study about the adsorption of phosphate on four variable charge soils and some minerals revealed that two stage adsorption appeared in the adsorption isotherms of phosphate on 4 soils and there was a maximum adsorption on Al-oxide-typed surfaces between pH 3.5 to pH 5.5 as suspension pH changed from 2 to 9, but the adsorption amount of phosphate decreased continually as pH rose on Fe-oxide typed surfaces. The adsorption amount of phosphate and the maximum phosphate adsorption pH decreased in the order of yellow-red soil > lateritic red soil > red soil > paddy soil, which was coincided with the content order of amorphous Al oxide. The removement of organic matter and Fe oxide made the maximum phosphate adsorption pH rise from 4.0 to 5.0 and 4.5, respectively. The desorption curves with pH of four soils showed that phosphate desorbed least at pH 5. Generally the desorption was contrary to the adsorption with pH changing.     

Speciation of phosphorus in temperate zone forest soils as assessed by combined wet‐chemical fractionation and XANES spectroscopy

Phosphorus availability in terrestrial ecosystems is strongly dependent on soil P speciation. Here we present information on the P speciation of 10 forest soils in Germany developed from different parent materials as assessed by combined wet‐chemical P fractionation and synchrotron‐based X‐ray absorption near‐edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy. Soil P speciation showed clear differences among different parent materials and changed systematically with soil depth. In soils formed from silicate bedrock or loess, Fe‐bound P species (FePO₄, organic and inorganic phosphate adsorbed to Fe oxyhydroxides) and Al‐bound P species (AlPO₄, organic and inorganic phosphate adsorbed to Al oxyhydroxides, Al‐saturated clay minerals and Al‐saturated soil organic matter) were most dominant. In contrast, the P speciation of soils formed from calcareous bedrock was dominated (40–70% of total P) by Ca‐bound organic P, which most likely primarily is inositol hexakisphosphate (IHP) precipitated as Ca₃‐IHP. The second largest portion of total P in all calcareous soils was organic P not bound to Ca, Al, or Fe. The relevance of this P form decreased with soil depth. Additionally, apatite (relevance increasing with depth) and Al‐bound P were present. The most relevant soil properties governing the P speciation of the investigated soils were soil stocks of Fe oxyhydroxides, organic matter, and carbonate. Different types of P speciation in soils on silicate and calcareous parent material suggest different ecosystem P nutrition strategies and biogeochemical P cycling patterns in the respective ecosystems. Our study demonstrates that combined wet‐chemical soil P fractionation and synchrotron‐based XANES spectroscopy provides substantial novel information on the P speciation of forest soils.     

Influence of soil composition on adsorption of glyphosate and phosphate by contrasting Danish surface soils

The herbicide glyphosate and inorganic phosphate are strongly adsorbed by inorganic soil components, especially aluminium and iron oxides, where they seem to compete for the same adsorption sites. Consequently, heavy phosphate application may exhaust soil's capacity to bind glyphosate, which may lead to pollution of drain‐ and groundwater. Adsorption of phosphate and glyphosate to five contrasting Danish surface soils was investigated by batch adsorption experiments. The different soils adsorbed different amounts of glyphosate and phosphate, and there was some competition between glyphosate and phosphate for adsorption sites, but the adsorption of glyphosate and phosphate seemed to be both competitive and additive. The competition was, however, less pronounced than found for goethite and gibbsite in an earlier study. The soil's pH seemed to be the only important factor in determining the amount of glyphosate and phosphate that could be adsorbed by the soils; consequently, glyphosate and phosphate adsorption by the soils was well predicted by pH, though predictions were somewhat improved by incorporation of oxalate‐extractable iron. Other soil factors such as organic carbon, the clay content and the mineralogy of the clay fraction had no effect on glyphosate and phosphate adsorption. The effect of pH on the adsorption of glyphosate and phosphate in one of the soils was further investigated by batch experiments with pH adjusted to 6, 7 and 8. These experiments showed that pH strongly influenced the adsorption of glyphosate. A decrease in pH resulted in increasing glyphosate adsorption, while pH had only a small effect on phosphate adsorption.     

Sorption of phosphorus by some surface soils from Quebec in relation to their properties

Abstract

Surface horizons from Podzolic and Gleysolic soils were collected in various parts of the province of Quebec, Canada, and equilibrated with various amounts of KH₂PO₄ in 0.01 M CaCl₂ for 48 hours. P sorption data conformed to the linear form of the Langmuir and Freundlich equations. P solubility isotherms showed evidence of hydroxyapatite formation in most samples studied, whereas equilibration solutions of only few samples were saturated with respect to either dicalcium phoshate dihydrate or octocalcium phosphate. These reaction products were associated to soil pH and levels of added phosphate. The average values of the Langmuir sorption maximum for these studied Gleysolic and Podzolic samples were 763 and 1096 μg/g respectively. These values were higher than those obtained by the segmented and modified Freundlich models.

Relationships between the soil characteristics and P sorption parameters were evaluated by regression analysis. Among all variables, oxalate‐extractable Fe plus Al content of the Podzolic samples and the ratio of oxalate—extractable Al to clay of the Gleysolic samples gave the best significant correlation coefficients. Furthermore, soil pH and various ratios such as pyrophosphate‐extractable Fe and Al, oxalate‐extractable Fe and organic matter to clay were found to be significantly correlated only with the P sorption parameters of the Gleysolic samples.     

Factors affecting phosphate sorption along a Mediterranean, dolomitic soil and vegetation chronosequence

Phosphate sorption by calcareous soils has been studied mainly on heavily fertilized agricultural soils and soils with calcite as the main carbonate mineral. We examined factors affecting phosphate adsorption in the soils of a semi-arid, mediterranean, dolomitic, soil and vegetation chrono-sequence in southeastern Spain. The youngest soils are highly eroded, Sandy Regosols (Typic Xerorthents) under gorse-scrubland vegetation. These have small P sorption capacities, large Mg-Ca carbonate contents but small amounts of Fe and Al oxides. Small total P (HNO₃/HClO₄ digestion) concentrations (30–130 μg P g^?1), of which up to 90% is Ca-bound (HCl-extractable), are typical of these young soils. P sorption markedly increased when Ca²⁺ was added to the solution. The fractionation of previously sorbed P indicates that the fate of most of this extra-sorbed P is the labile-P fraction sorbed on to (carbonate) surfaces and the apatite-like fraction (NaHCO₃-extractable and HCl-extractable fractions). At the other extreme, older more-intensively weathered, sandy-clay-loam rendzinas (Entic Haploxerolls), supporting dense mature garrigue, have a much greater P adsorption capacity and larger clay and Fe and Al oxide concentrations. They have more total P (ca 400 μg P g^?1), much of it in occluded form (residual fraction). These soils show no significant differences in P sorption whether or not CaCl₂ was used as a background electrolyte. Considering the overall variations within the chronosequence, dithionite extractable Fe and Al are the properties best correlated with P sorption. This support the general finding that crystalline Fe-oxides (e.g. goethite and haematite) appear to be the most important P-sorbing component for soils in the Mediterranean region, rather than amorphous Fe-oxides (e.g. ferrihydrite) as is reported for more mesic areas. Stepwise multiple regression and fractionation data, however, suggest that, provided the soil solution is rich in Ca²⁺, carbonate may also be a significant contributing factor to P sorption, especially in the youngest of these dolomitic soils.     

Effects of drying on the ion exchange capacity and cation adsorption properties of some New Zealand soils

Abstract

The effect of drying on the cation (CEC) and anion (AEC) exchange capacity, and on potassium (K) and magnesium (Mg) adsorption by three New Zealand soils was investigated. Air‐drying resulted in no significant changes in these properties compared with the field‐moist samples. Oven‐drying at 105°C significantly decreased the CEC and increased the AEC of most soils compared with air‐dried samples. The decrease in CEC was related to increased solubility of organic matter and a decrease in surface area on which charge could be developed. The increase in AEC was attributed to a decrease in soil pH.

Potassium and Mg adsorption by two soils decreased following oven‐drying. This was consistent with the effect of drying on CEC. For the remaining soil, K adsorption increased following oven‐drying. This was attributed to K fixation.     

Problems in predicting legume fertility needs in steeplanl pasture improvement with soil tests

Abstract

Soil tests are used to predict fertilizer and liming needs of legumes being introduced into permanent pastures. However, the routine drying of soil samples may change the soil characteristics so much that recommendations based on test results may be poorly related to actual plant needs in the field.

Test results from four soils, based on dried and moist samples, were related through stepwise multiple regression to percent nodulation and dry weight of white clover (Trifolium repens L. ) seedlings grown on soil cores in the greenhouse. Highly variable test results were obtained for Al, Mn, and P, depending on if a sample was dried or maintained moist. These discrepancies have implications for making P fertilizer and liming recommendations. Test results for other elements also varied widely.

Extractable Mn and P accounted for most of the variation observed in percent nodulation, whether soil samples were dried or not. There was a significant interaction of P, Al, and Mn extracted from dried soils with plant weight. This contrasted with the significant interaction of extractable P, Ca, K, and Mg with plant weight observed when soil samples were not dried before analysis.

Drying soil samples before analysis improved, rather than harmed, the ability of soil tests to predict white clover growtl responses on these soils. However, the soil tests explained only 40 percent of the variation in plant growth.     

发育程度对海南玄武岩发育土壤吸附铬酸根和磷酸根的影响

选择海南岛北部3个不同年代喷发的玄武岩发育的土壤研究了其对铬酸根(CrO42-)和磷酸根(PO43-)的吸附特征,结果表明随着母岩年龄的增加,土壤发育程度提高,土壤游离氧化铁和表面正电荷数量增加,对2种阴离子的吸附量增加。土壤CrO42-的解吸率在19.8%~39.6%之间,表明土壤对CrO42-的吸附涉及静电吸附和专性吸附2种机制,且随着土壤发育程度增加,CrO42-静电吸附所占比例增加。土壤对PO43-的吸附以非静电吸附为主,吸附的PO43-的解吸量非常低,其解吸率不超过6%。吸附PO43-在去离子水中的解吸量高于在0.1 mol/L NaNO3和KNO3中的解析量,KNO3体系中的解吸量低于NaNO3体系中的,电解质主要通过改变胶体表面离子吸附面上的静电电位影响PO43-的解吸。     

The excretion of citric and malic acid by proteoid roots of Lupinus albus L.; effects on soil solution concentrations of phosphate,iron, and aluminum in the proteoid rhizosphere in samples of an oxisol and a luvisol

Organic acid concentration in the proteoid rhizosphere of White Lupin in different soil samples (Oxisol-A_p = Ox, Luvisol-A_p and Luvisol-C = L_A and L_C) was determined in order to study the influence of root-released carboxylates on the mobilization of phosphate, aluminum, and iron in the rhizosphere. In the L_C, organic acids were accumulated as Casalts extractable with water. In the proteoid rhizosphere of this soil sample 55 μmol citrate and 8 μmol malate per g soil were found. In the Ox, no water extractable organic acids were present. However, determination of citrate in the solid phase of this soil by Diffuse Reflectance Infrared Fourier Transform Spectroscopy gave concentrations of 88 and 68 μmol citrate per g soil without and with P application, respectively. Displaced soil solution from the proteoid root rhizosphere of the Ox and the L_A increased in Fe and Al concentrations from <50 μmol/L (soil from reference pots without plants) to more than 600 μmol Fe+Al/L. The concentration of P was increased by a factor of 2 despite of P uptake by the proteoid roots. The mobilization of Al, Fe, and P is attributed to ligand exchange of phosphate against citrate and to the solubilization of Al and Fe as carboxylate complexes.     

Release of soil phosphate by sequential extractions as a function of soil properties and added phosphorus

Abstract

A study of sequential phosphate (P) extraction by water and iron oxide‐impregnated paper strip procedures was carried out on three Italian soils ranging widely in soil characteristics and enriched with three rates of fertilizer P. The degree of change was dependant on P addition, soil P properties, and type of extraction. For the Fe‐oxide strip procedure, a greater release of P than for water extraction was observed for soils with and without added P. At a given level of added P, more P was released from the soil with the lowest P sorption index (SI). However, at a given level of NaHCO₃‐extractable P, less P was released from the soil with lower SI than from soil with a higher SI, indicating that a greater available P content was necessary for low P sorbing soils to maintain a given rate of P release. The variation of SI accounted for 96% and 92% of the variation in amount of water‐extractable and Fe‐oxide strip P at a given P addition. Furthermore, SI accounted for 97% and 98% of the variation in water‐extractable and Fe‐oxide P at a given increase in available soil P. Inclusion in a soil testing program of an estimate of the P Sorption Index, that accounts for the overall effect of soil properties affecting sorption in soils (clay content and type, iron and aluminum oxide content, surface area, etc.), may improve fertilizer P requirements for optimum crop growth for certain soils.