Umsatz im Boden und Ertragswirkung rohphosphathaltiger Düngemittel

Turnover in soil and yield response of phosphate rock containing fertilizers Solubility of phosphate rocks is the better the higher the carbonate substitution in the given phosphate rock type. From the soil factors, pH is of importance. At soil pH < 5 phosphate rocks are fairly soluble and their yield effect equals that of fully processed fertilizers. In a soil pH range from 5 to 7, pH does not play such a decisive role as has been assumed. Other soil factors such as H⁺ buffer power of soil, Ca²⁺ and particularly the phosphate concentration in the soil solution are equally relevant for phosphate rock dissolution. The evaluation of numerous field experiments provided evidence that in the above cited pH range fully processed fertilizer phosphates are superior to phosphate rock containing fertilizers with regard to phosphate uptake, yield formation, and phosphate recovery. Also the residual effect of rock phosphate is poorer than that of fully processed phosphate fertilizers. There is some evidence that phosphate rocks show a relatively good response on deep rooting soils which allow a vigorous root growth and on soils with a sufficiently high level of soil moisture. In a soil pH range > 5 rock phosphate containing fertilizer are not suitable for maintenance fertilization, since under such conditions the phosphate concentration in the soil solution is relatively high thus suppressing the dissolution of phosphate rock.