CONTENT OF INOSITOL PHOSPHATES IN SOME ENGLISH AND NIGERIAN SOILS

The mono-, di-, tri-, tetra-, penta-, and hexaphosphates of inositpl accounted for between 11·2 and 30·4 per cent of the organic P in three English and four Nigerian soils. M yoinositol hexaphosphate was the component present in greatest amount in all soils. The lower esters (mono-, di-, and triphosphates) accounted for less than 3 per cent of the organic P in all soils, with the lowest amounts in the soils from Nigeria. For the penta- and hexaphosphates the ratio of myo- plus dl- isomers to scyll oinositol varied from 2·9 to over 10, the highest ratio occurring in the soils from Nigeria. Examination of the techniques showed that they gave approximately correct estimates of the inositol phosphates. The organic P in soil which was not estimated as inositol phosphate occurred in other forms.     

URANIUM ACCUMULATION IN SOILS FROM LONG-CONTINUED APPLICATIONS OF SUPERPHOSPHATE

This paper describes the accumulation of uranium in soils from superphosphate applied annually to arable and grassland soils. Rates of application of superphosphate were equivalent to about 33kg P and 15 gU ha^?1 year^?1 in three experiments at Rothamsted and to about 37 kg P and 16g U ha ^?1 year ^?1 in one experiment in New Zealand. Most of the uranium (about 1300 g U ha ^?1) applied in superphosphate to the clay loam soil at Rothamsted since 1889 was retained, like P, in the plough layer of arable soils or was adsorbed by the organic surface layers of soils under permanent grassland. Uranium applied in superphosphate to grassland in New Zealand since 1954 (about 330 g U ha^?1) was also concentrated in the surface layers of the soil.     

CONTENT OF INOSITOL PENTA- AND HEXAPHOSPHATES IN SOME CANADIAN SOILS

The combined amounts of inositol penta- and hexaphosphates in a number of Canadian soils of differing origin have been measured. The esters were precipitated as barium salts from alkali extracts and purified by anion-exchange chromatography; their identity was confirmed by paper-partition chromatography. An alternative method involving precipitation of the esters as ferric salts in acid medium was found to give much lower values, probably because of incomplete precipitation. Values for eighteen surface soils ranged from 20 to 71 and for twelve subsoils from 18 to 43 ppm P. The amounts found were related to the contents of both total phosphate and total organic phosphate, and accounted, on average, for 6 per cent of the former and 17 per cent of the latter. A correlation of +0.67 (P < 0.01) was found with orthophosphate retention capacity but correlations with soil N and C contents were poor. Amounts of the esters were higher in forest soils than in grassland soils.     

Amounts and mineralization of organic phosphorus compounds and derivatives in some surface soils of bangladesh

Concentrations of a few organic phosphorus compounds and their hydrolysis products have been determined in a number of Bangladesh soils. The amounts of DNA and its derivatives, inositol penta- and hexaphosphates, ranged from 0.16 to 1.30, and 18.5 to 130.0 ppm, respectively. The hydrolysis products of phospholipids such as choline, ethanolamine and glycerophosphate ranged from 0.36 to 3.29, 0.28 to 2.52 and 0.20 to 1.05 ppm, respectively. Multiple correlation suggested that pH, organic matter, organic phosphorus and total phosphorus were collectively related to the amounts of different organic phosphorus fractions in soil samples. Individually, DNA and its derivatives were found to be significantly related to total phosphorus and inositol penta- and hexaphosphates to organic phosphorus. Choline was significantly related to organic matter, organic phosphorus and total phosphorus; ethanolamine to organic matter and total phosphorus; and glycerophosphate to organic phosphorus.Moisture and lime promoted progressive mineralization of organic phosphorus with time. Potassium dihydrogen phosphate, glucose and ammonium sulphate showed rapid initial and final mineralization. In contrast, the application of compost caused an initial luxury immobilization followed by a marked increase in mineralization with time. Maximum mineralization was observed when ammonium sulphate was added to samples in submerged conditions. The least mineralization occurred when lime was added to samples at 50% of field moisture capacity.     

CHARACTERIZATION OF THE INOSITOL PENTA- AND HEXAPHOSPHATE FRACTIONS OF A NUMBER OF CANADIAN AND SCOTTISH SOILS

The nature of the inositol pentaphosphate and hexaphosphate isomers in a number of contrasting Canadian and Scottish soils has been examined. The mixed esters were extracted from the soil with alkali and separated from other soil phosphates by anion-exchange chromatography using HCOONH₄ as eluent. The composition of the mixture was established by anion-exchange chromatography using a gradient of HC1 as eluent, followed by paper chromatography of the esters thus separated, and by paper chromatography of the hydrolysis products. Esters of myo- and scylloinositol together constituted more than 90 per cent of the mixture in most cases. Relatively small amounts of dl-inositol and neoinositol were detected in hydrolysates and it was estimated that esters of these cyclitols did not exceed 10 per cent and 1 per cent, respectively, of the total. The ratio of myo-+dl-inositol hexaphosphates to scylloinositol hexaphosphate ranged from 1.1 to 2.7 in the Canadian soils and 1.8 to 4.6 in the Scottish soils. The ratio of hexaphosphates to pentaphosphates ranged from 0.9 to 2.4 in the Canadian soils and 3.0 to 4.3 in the Scottish soils. The three soils with the highest pH values contained relatively large amounts of scyllo- relative to myoinositol hexaphosphate, but one very acid soil also contained a high proportion of this isomer and no consistent relationship was noted between the constitution of the inositol polyphosphate fraction and any other soil property.     

Can phosphorus fertilizers sparingly soluble in water decrease phosphorus leaching loss from an acid peat soil?

The potential risk of phosphorus (P) loss in surface run‐off can be decreased using sparingly soluble forms of P fertilizer (e.g. reactive phosphate rock (RPR)). However, it is unclear whether RPR can decrease P loss in leachate, especially when applied to soils with a small anion storage capacity (viz. P sorption capacity) and pH. Our hypothesis was that at low soil pH, the solubility of RPR would increase and result in P losses in leachate similar to those receiving single superphosphate (SSP), but at higher pH, less P would be lost from soils receiving RPR than SSP. Lysimeters containing a crushed, sieved acid mesic Organic (viz. peat) subsoil (30–60 cm) were limed to pH 4.5, 5.5 or 6.5 and treated with SSP or RPR at rates of 0, 50, 100 or 200 kg P/ha. Lysimeters were sown with ryegrass and watered over 12 months under controlled conditions and the leachate collected. Losses of filtered (< 0.45 μm) reactive inorganic P (FRP) and unreactive or organic P (FUP) in leachate were greatest for pH 4.5 treatments and least for the pH 6.5 treatments. The difference in FRP and FUP leachate losses in RPR‐ and SSP‐treated soils was smaller at pH 4.5 and 5.5, and increased at pH 6.5 as losses from soils receiving RPR decreased compared to those receiving SSP. The results suggest that RPR can be used as a strategy to decrease P losses in leachate from an acid Organic soil with small P sorption capacity when limed to > pH 5.5.     

The influence of rhizosphere microflora on the availability of 32P-myoinositol hexaphosphate phosphorus to wheat

Experiments with wheat grown in nutrient solution and in a sandy soil showed that ³²P activity, supplied as ³²P-myoinositol hexaphosphate (IH ³²P), was translocated to the tops of aseptic plants. The proportion of the added ³²P activity recovered in the tops of solution grown plants was influenced by the concentration of IH ³²P, decreasing from 8 per cent with 10 μg P/ml to 0.4 per cent with 0.2 μg P/ml.With concentrations of IH ³²P equivalent to 0.2 parts/10⁶ P, inoculation of the root zone of soil grown plants with soil bacterial isolates shown to possess phytase activity, or with a mixed rhizosphere flora had no effect on the incorporation of ³²P into the wheat plants. It is considered unlikely, with the concentration of inositol hexaphosphates normally present in soil solution, that soil microflora will increase the dephosphorylation of these compounds at root surfaces above the activity due to plant enzymes.     

THE HIGH- AND LOW-ENERGY PHOSPHATE ADSORBING SURFACES IN CALCAREOUS SOILS

The two-surface Langmuir equation was used to study P adsorption by 24 calcareous soils (pH 7.2-7.6; 0.8-24.2 per cent CaCO₃) from the Sherborne soil series, which are derived from Jurassic limestone. High-energy P adsorption capacities (x″_m) ranged from 140–345 μg P/g and were most closely correlated with dithionite-soluble Fe. Hydrous oxides therefore appear to provide the principal sites, even in calcareous soils, on which P is strongly adsorbed (x″_m 6–51 ml/μg P). The low-energy adsorption capacities (x″_m) ranged from 400–663 μg P/g and were correlated with organic matter contents and the total surface areas of CaCO₃ but not with per cent CaCO₃, pH, or dithionite-soluble Fe. Total surface areas of CaCO₃ in the soils ranged from 4.0 to 8.5 m²/g soil. Low-energy P adsorption capacities agree reasonably with values (100 pg P/m²) for the sorption of phosphate on Jurassic limestones but phosphate was bonded much less strongly by soil carbonates (k″= 0.08–0.45 ml/μg P) than by limestones (k～10.0 ml/μg P). Low-energy P adsorption in these soils is tentatively ascribed to adsorption on sites already occupied by organic anions (and probably also by bicarbonate and silicate ions) which lessen the bonding energy of co-adsorbed P.     

COMPARISON OF DIFFERENT FORMS OF PHOSPHATIC FERTILIZERS PART I: RAPE AND SWEDES

Eighteen experiments were carried out in Wales and the West Midland Region, between 1966 and 1971 to compare granular basic slag with powdered basic slag and superphosphate (or triple superphosphate) as phosphatic fertilizers for rape and swede crops. At the swede sites additional comparisons involving ground mineral phosphates were also made. The fertilizer treatments were applied at sowing time and at rates supplying 28 and 56 kg P/ha for rape and 28 and 56, or 44 and 88 kg P/ha for swedes. Large increases in yield of rape and swedes to the lower rate of phosphate application were recorded at most sites but, in general, only very small additional responses were obtained to the higher dressing. For both rape and swede crops, the relative effectiveness of the different phosphatic fertilizers varied somewhat between sites. Comparisons of the superphosphate and basic slag treatments show that the former gave slightly higher yields at most sites. Granular basic slag was marginally inferior to powdered slag for swedes but in general the differences between the effects of superphosphate (or triple superphosphate) and the two forms of slag were small. The effects of the Gafsa phosphate treatments for swedes were variable, being as effective as superphosphate or basic slag at some sites and much less so at others. This inconsistency detracts from their over-all usefulness. There was no definite advantage in the finely-ground (80 per cent through 300 mesh (50 μm)) material over the relatively coarser (60 per cent through 100 mesh (150 μm)) product. Moroccan mineral phosphate was inferior to the Gafsa phosphates for swedes, particularly at the most responsive sites.     

BASALTIC SOILS OF SOUTH-WEST ICELAND. II

Data for mechanical and chemical analyses are presented with tabulated mean and median values based on fifty-five freely drained and ten poorly drained soils. The soils are relatively coarsed textured. The sand content of the mineral fraction is about 70 per cent (mean value) for freely drained and about 45 per cent (mean value) for poorly drained soils. Organic C is generally high in freely drained soils but relatively low in poorly drained soils, because of accumulating aeolian matter in the latter group, mean values are 8.2 in freely drained and 16.5 per cent in poorly drained soils. The C/N ratio is about 15 for each soil group. The cation exchange properties including pH seem to be dominated by organic matter, which may contribute to the total CEC of the soils about 165–300 me/100 g C. CEC of soils is usually 40–50 me/100 g. For some selected soils CEC of the separated mineral fractions was confirmed experimentally through ammonia retention. The pH level, especially of the freely drained soils, is relatively high (mostly 5.4–6.3) in spite of low degree of base saturation (mostly 10–30 per cent), a characteristic probably derived from the parent material. A highly significant correlation exists between pH and organic C. Proportionally exchangeable Ca seems low, while Mg and Na may be abundant. In some soils exchangeable Mg may exceed Ca.     

Isolating the influence of pH on the amounts and forms of soil organic phosphorus

Soil pH influences the chemistry, dynamics and biological availability of phosphorus (P), but few studies have isolated the effect of pH from other soil properties. We studied phosphorus chemistry in soils along the Hoosfield acid strip (Rothamsted, UK), where a pH gradient from 3.7 to 7.8 occurs in a single soil with little variation in total phosphorus (mean ± standard deviation 399 ± 27 mg P kg^?1). Soil organic phosphorus represented a consistent proportion of the total soil phosphorus (36 ± 2%) irrespective of soil pH. However, organic phosphorus concentrations increased by about 20% in the most acidic soils (pH < 4.0), through an accumulation of inositol hexakisphosphate, DNA and phosphonates. The increase in organic phosphorus in the most acidic soils was not related to organic carbon, because organic carbon concentrations declined at pH < 4.0. Thus, the organic carbon to organic phosphorus ratio declined from about 70 in neutral soils to about 50 in strongly acidic soils. In contrast to organic phosphorus, inorganic phosphorus was affected strongly by soil pH, because readily‐exchangeable phosphate extracted with anion‐exchange membranes and a more stable inorganic phosphorus pool extracted in NaOH–EDTA both increased markedly as soil pH declined. Inorganic orthophosphate concentrations were correlated negatively with amorphous manganese and positively with amorphous aluminium oxides, suggesting that soil pH influences orthophosphate stabilization via metal oxides. We conclude that pH has a relatively minor influence on the amount of organic phosphorus in soil, although some forms of organic phosphorus accumulate preferentially under strongly acidic conditions.     

Inositol penta- and hexaphosphate content of some cocoa soils in Ghana

The inositol penta- and hexaphosphate content of some typical cocoa soils in Ghana was measured by anion exchange chromatography with HCOONH₄ as eluant. The values which ranged from 6 to 35 ppm P (average 18 ± 8 ppm P) and accounted for 6% to 40% (average 14%) of the organic phosphorus are within those ranges reported for Canadian, Nigerian, but much lower than those for Scottish soils. The penta- and hexaphosphate content of the soil significantly correlated with total P, organic P, organic C, total N, Fe and P retention capacity. Incubation of soil for 11 weeks did not alter the inositol penta- and hexaphosphate content of the soil. Inorganic P adsorption could be decreased by adding inositol hexaphosphate. These data support the suggestion that a role of the esters in nutrition of crops is probably through the indirect effect of blocking of retention sites and agents which would otherwise be free to bind inorganic phosphorus.     

CHANGES IN THE CHEMICAL NATURE OF SOIL ORGANIC PHOSPHATE DURING PEDOGENESIS

In two chronosequences of soils, total organic phosphate (P₀) accumulated rapidly during the first 50 years of soil development, when organic matter increased and pH decreased. The rate of P₀ accumulation then declined with age of soil until a ‘steady state’ was reached. The amounts of phospholipid, inositol phosphates and humic acid—P₀ followed the same trends as the total P₀. Parent materials and very young soils contained largely citric acid-soluble P₀, but after less than 50 years, surface horizons accumulated sufficient organic matter to complex a considerable proportion of the P₀. An upper limit of 20–5 per cent citric acid-soluble P₀ and 70–80 per cent NaOH-soluble P₀ was attained within 50 years of soil formation in the surface layers, and this slowly extended down the profile so that, after 10000 years, the soil had 20 per cent citric acid soluble-P₀ and 70 per cent NaOH-soluble P₀ to a depth of 1 m.     

Inositol phosphate esters in some surface soils of Bangladesh

Concentrations of inositol mono-, di- and tri-, tetra-, penta- and hexaphosphate ranged from 5.0 to 12.5, 10.0 to 27.6, 20.0 to 45.0, 22.5 to 64.6, and 20.0 to 275.4 ppm, respectively, in samples of soils that were poorly drained and mostly derived from alluvium. Multiple correlation suggested that the amounts of esters of inositol phosphate other than inositol monophosphate were significantly correlated with organic phosphorus, total phosphorus, organic carbon, total nitrogen, inositol phospate, clay, exchangeable iron and aluminium, and pH. Individually, inositol hexa-, penta-, and di- and triphosphates were significantly correlated with organic phosphorus, total phosphorus, organic carbon, total nitrogen, inositol phosphate, and exchangeable iron and aluminium; inositol tetraphosphate with organic carbon, total nitrogen, inositol phosphate, and exchangeable iron and aluminium; inositol monophosphate with none.     

THE CONTENTS AND SORPTION OF CADMIUM IN SOME AGRICULTURAL SOILS OF ENGLAND AND WALES

Cadmium sorption was measured in 10 agricultural soils with pH ranging from 4.5 to 7.9, and total Cd content from 0.27 to 1.04 μg g^?1 dry soil. With initial Cd concentrations of 0.5 to 100.0 μM, sorption from 0.002 M CaCl₂ was described by the Freundlich adsorption equation but the gradients of the isotherms increased when the initial concentrations were below 0.5 μm. This indicates that there are specific sites of differing sorption energy; differences between soils in the gradients of the isotherms at low initial concentration could largely be accounted for by their contents of ‘free’ Fe₂O₃. When initial concentrations were below 0.5 μm there was a linear relationship between the quantity of Cd sorbed and the final concentration in solution. This relationship held with all soils except that of lowest pH from which there was a net loss of Cd to the solutions. Desorption was measured from three soils with contrasting pH. With the soil of lowest pH, over 80 per cent of sorbed Cd was desorbed to 0.002 m CaCl₂ and up to 30 per cent to 100 or 500 μm solutions of heavy metal chlorides. In contrast, only very small proportions (<1.25 per cent) were desorbed from the other soils with pH 6.7 and 7.8. The results indicate that Cd is strongly sorbed by soils of pH of above 6.0 when added in amounts comparable to additions in sewage sludges or phosphatic fertilizers, and illustrate the importance of liming as a means of reducing the mobility of this metal in soils.     

Plant Growth in Response to Phosphorus Fertilizers in Acidic Soil Amended with Limestone or Organic Matter

Liming or adding organic matter may improve productivity of soils receiving phosphorus (P) fertilizers. This study assessed the effectiveness of amendment of acidic soil with limestone and organic matter on growth of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.), corn (Zea mays L.), and cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) with different P fertilizers. These crops were grown in a greenhouse to evaluate superphosphate, bone meal, and rock phosphate as fertilizers and calcitic limestone and peat moss as amendments. Superphosphate was the superior P source to sustain crop growth, limit deficiency symptoms, and enhance P accumulation. Bone meal was less effective than superphosphate but exceeded rock phosphate in these capacities. Rock phosphate was better than adding no P fertilizer. The amendments of limestone or organic matter singly or together had little effect on growth, appearance, or P accumulation. The availability of P in the fertilizers governed the growth responses of the plants.     

Macromolecule‐P associations and inositol phosphates in some chilean volcanic soils of temperate regions

Abstract

Total organic P, humic and fulvic acid‐P associations and inositol phosphates in nine volcanic soils of southern Chile were determined. The concentration of organic P (Po) ranged from 654 to 1942 ppm accounting for 49% to 64% of total soil P. Phosphorus associated to humic (HA‐P) and fulvic acids (FA‐P) accounted for 51–68% and 32–49% of Po, respectively. Inositol penta‐ and hexaphosphates represented 42% to 67% of Po suggesting that significant amounts are associated with both humic and fulvic acids. Po content was significantly correlated to organic C, total soil P and HA‐P. HA‐P and FA‐P fractions obtained from the most representative soil were examined by dyalisis and gel filtration. While approximately 96% of HA‐P presented a molecular weight higher than 100,000 daltons, 53% of FA‐P had a molecular weight under 12,000 daltons. It is suggested that these more labile organic P forms would be more easily mineralized, thus increasing the available P pool.     

PROCESSES OF HUMUS FORMATION AND TRANSFORMATION IN SOILS OF THE CANADIAN GREAT PLAINS

A study of the A horizons of cultivated soils from Saskatchewan, Canada showed that the organic carbon contents were in the sequence semi-arid Dark Brown soils (1.7 per cent), < Black soils (2.55–2.8 per cent), < sub-humid Dark Gray soils (4.5 per cent). The relative proportions of humic acids and the ratios of humic acid: fulvic acid increased in a similar sequence. There were accompanying increases in extinction values at 280 nm, and in levels of nonhydrolyzable nitrogen suggesting more extensive polycondensation of humic materials. These observations are discussed in terms of a working hypothesis for humus formation and transformations, that gives particular emphasis to the soil environment and to interactions between organic and inorganic components.     

Biologically Active Organic Matter in Soils of European Russia

Experimental and literature data on the contents and stocks of active organic matter in 200 soil samples from the forest-tundra, southern-taiga, deciduous-forest, forest-steppe, dry-steppe, semidesert, and subtropical zones have been generalized. Natural lands, agrocenoses, treatments of long-term field experiments (bare fallow, unfertilized and fertilized crop rotations, perennial plantations), and different layers of soil profile are presented. Sphagnum peat and humus–peat soil in the tundra and forest-tundra zones are characterized by a very high content of active organic matter (300–600 mg C/100 g). Among the zonal soils, the content of active organic matter increases from the medium (75–150 mg C/100 g) to the high (150–300 mg C/100 g) level when going from soddy-podzolic soil to gray forest and dark-gray forest soils and then to leached chernozem. In the series from typical chernozem to ordinary and southern chernozem and chestnut and brown semidesert soils, a decrease in the content of active organic matter to the low (35–75 mg C/100 g) and very low (<35 mg C/100 g) levels is observed. Acid brown forest soil in the subtropical zone is characterized by a medium supply with active organic matter. Most arable soils are mainly characterized by low or very low contents of active organic matter. In the upper layers of soils, active organic matter makes up 1.2–11.1% of total C_org. The profile distribution of active organic matter in the studied soils coincides with that of C_org: their contents appreciably decrease with depth, except for brown semidesert soil. The stocks of active organic matter vary from 0.4 to 5.4 t/ha in the layer of 0–20 cm and from 1.0 to 12.4/ha in the layer of 0–50 cm of different soil types.     

OCCURRENCE OF INOSITOL PHOSPHATES AND OTHER ORGANIC PHOSPHATE COMPONENTS IN AN ORGANIC COMPLEX

A calcareous organic soil was extracted by shaking with Na⁺-resin suspended in 0·2M acetyl acetone at pH 8·3. Fractionation of the fulvic acid on Sephadex G 25 gave (a) a high molecular-weight component which contained inositol tetraand hexa-phosphates and a sugar phosphate; (b) low molecular-weight components which included the mono-, di-, and triphosphate esters of inositol and two sugar phosphates, but no free inositol phosphates. Inositol phosphates and sugar phosphates accounted for 30·2 per cent and 16·6 per cent of the soil organic P respectively. Our evidence indicates that these phosphate esters exist in an organic complex.