Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Phosphorus status and sorption characteristics of some calcareous soils of Hamadan, western Iran

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Environmental Geology

Abstract

Phosphorus (P) application in excess of plant requirement may result in contamination of drinking water and eutrophication of surface water bodies. The phosphorous buffer capacity (PBC) of soil is important in plant nutrition and is an important soil property in the determination of the P release potential of soils. Phosphorus sorption greatly affects both plant nutrition and environmental pollution. For better and accurate P fertilizer recommendations, it is necessary to quantify P sorption. This study was conducted to investigate available P and P sorption by calcareous soils in a semi-arid region of Hamadan, western Iran. The soil samples were mainly from cultivated land. Olsen’s biocarbonate extractable P (Olsen P) varied among soils and ranged from 10 to 80 mg kg−1 with a mean of 36 mg kg−1. Half of the soils had an Olsen P > 40 mg kg−1 and >70% of them had a concentration >20 mg kg−1, whereas the critical concentration for most crops is <15 mg P kg−1. Greater average Olsen P in soils occurred under garlic (56 mg kg−1) and potato (44 kg kg−1) fields than in dry-land wheat farming (24 mg kg−1), pasture (30 mg kg−1), and wheat (24 mg P kg−1) fields. A marked increase in fertilizer P rates applied to agricultural soils has caused P to be accumulated in the surface soil. Phosphate sorption curves were well fitted to the Freundlich equation. The standard P requirement (SPR) of soils, defined as the amount of P sorbed at an equilibrium concentration of 0.2 mg l−1 ranged from 4 to 102 mg kg−1. Phosphorus buffer capacity was relatively high and varied from 16 to 123 l kg−1 with an average of 58 l kg−1. In areas of intensive crop production, continual P applications as P fertilizer and farmyard manure have been used at levels exceeding crop requirements. Surface soil accumulations of P are high enough that loss of P in surface runoff and a high risk for P transfer into groundwater have become priority management concerns.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abekoe MK, Sahrawat KL (2001) Phosphate retension and extractability in soils of the humid zone in west Africa. Geoderma 102:175–187

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Afif E, Matar A, Torrent J (1993) Availability of phosphate applied to calcareous soils of West Asia and North Africa. Soil Sci Soc Am J 57:756–760

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Amer F, Mahmoud AA, Sabet V (1985) Zeta potential and surface area of calcium carbonate as related to phosphate sorption. Soil Sci Soc Am J 49:1137–1142

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Amrani M, Westfall DG, Moughli L (1999) Phosphate sorption in calcareous Moroccan soils as affected by soil properties. Commun Soil Sci Plant Anal 30(9&10):1299–1314

    Google Scholar 

  • Baharifar A, Moinevaziri H, Bellon H, Pique A (2004) The crystalline complexes of Hamadan (Sanandaj-Sirjan zone, western Iran): metasedimentary mezoic sequences affected by late cretaceous tectono-metamorphic and plutonic events. C R Geoscience 336:1443–1452

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Beauchemin S, Simard RR, Cluis D (1998) Form and concentration of phosphorus in drainage waters of twenty-seven tile-drained soils. J Environ Qual 27:721–728

    Google Scholar 

  • Bertrand I, Holloway RE, Armstrong RD, McLaughlin MJ (2003) Chemical characteristics of phosphorus in alkaline soils from southern Australia. Aust J Soil Res 41:61–76

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bolland MDA, Gilkes RJ, Brennan RF, Allen DG (1996) Comparison of seven phosphorus sorption indices. Aust J Soil Res 34:81–89

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bramley RGV, Barrow NJ, Shaw TC (1992) The reaction between phosphate and dry soil. I. The effect of time, temperature and dryness. J Soil Sci 43:749–758

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Campbell LB, Racz GJ (1975) Organic and inorganic P content, movement and mineralization of P in soil beneath a feedlot. Can J Soil Sci 55:457–466

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Castro B, Torrent J (1998) Phosphate sorption by calcareous Vertisols and Inceptisols as evaluated from extended P-sorption curves. Eur J Soil Sci 49:661–667

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fitter AH, Sutton CD (1975) The use of the Freundlich isotherm for soil phosphate sorption data. J Soil Sci 26:241–246

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fox RL (1981) External phosphorous requirements of crops. In: Dowdy RH et al (eds) Soil testing and plant analysis, 3rd edn. SSSA book Ser. SSSA, Madison

  • Foy RH, Withers PJA (1995) The contribution of agricultural phosphorus to eutrophication. In: Proceedings no. 365. The fertilizer society, Peterborough

  • Freeman JS, Rowell DL (1981) The adsorption and precipitation of phosphate onto calcite. J Soil Sci 32:75–84

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Garcia-Miragaya J, Page AL (1976) Influence of ionic strength and inorganic complex formation on the sorption of trace amounts of Cd by montmorillonite. Soil Sci Soc Am J 40:658–663

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guertal EA, Eckret DJ, Traina SJ, Logan TJ (1991) Differential phosphorus retention in soil profiles under no-till crop production. Soil Sci Soc Am J 55:410–413

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hamad ME, Rimmer DL, Syers JK (1992) Effect of iron oxide on phosphate sorption by calcite and calcareous soils. J Soil Sci 43:273–281

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hansen JC, Strawn DG (2003) Kinetics of phosphorus release from manure-amended alkaline soil. Soil Sci 168(12):869–879

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Havlin L, Beaton JD, Tisdale SL, Nelson WL (1999) Soil fertility and fertilizers: an introduction to nutrient management. Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, p 499

    Google Scholar 

  • Heckrath G Brooks PC, Poulton PR, Goulding KWT (1995) Phosphorous leaching from soils containing different P concentrations in the Broadbalk experiment. J Environ Qual 24:904–910

    Google Scholar 

  • Hirsch D, Nir S, Banin A (1989) Prediction of cadmium complexation in solution and adsorption to montmorillonite. Soil Sci Soc Am J 53:716–721

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Holford ICR, Mattingly GEG (1975a) The high-and low-energy phosphate adsorbing surfaces in calcareous soils. J Soil Sci 26:407–417

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Holford ICR, Mattingly GEG (1975b) Phosphate sorption by Jurassic oolitic limestones. Geoderma 13:257–264

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jackman JM, Jones RC, Yost RS, Babock CJ (1997) Rietveld estimates of mineral percentages to predict phosphorous sorption by selected Hawaiian soils. Soil Sci Soc Am J 61:618–629

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jalali M (2002) Composition of irrigation waters in west of Iran. In: Proceedings of 17th World Congress of Soil Science, August 2002, Bangkok, Thailand, pp 2184-1–2184-4

  • Jalali M (2005a) Release kinetics of non-exchangeable potassium in calcareous soils. Commun Soil Sci Plant Anal 36:1903–1917

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jalali M (2005b) Nitrates leaching from agricultural land in Hamadan, western Iran. Agric Ecosyst Environ 110:210–218

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jalali M (2006) Soil phosphorus buffer coefficient as influenced by time and rate of P addition. Archives Agron Soil Sci 52:1–11

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Javid S, Rowell DL (2002) A laboratory study of the effect of time and temperature on the decline in Olsen P following phosphate addition to calcareous soils. Soil Use Manage 18:127–134

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kuo S (1990) Phosphate sorption implications on phosphate soil tests and uptake by corn. Soil Sci Soc Am J 54:131–135

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kuo S (1996) Phosphorus. In: methods of soil analysis. In: Sparks DL (ed) Soil Sci Soc Am, Madison, WI 5:869

  • Malakouti MJ, Gheibi MN (2000) Determination of critical levels of nutrients in soil, plant and fruit for the quality and yield improvements of Iran’s strategic crops. Agricultural education publication, Tehran

    Google Scholar 

  • McCollum RE (1991) Build up and decline in soil phosphorous: 30-year trends on a typic umprabuult. Agron J 83:77–85

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McDowell R, Sharpley A, Brookes PH, Poulton P (2001) Relationship between soil test phosphorus and phosphorus release to solution. Soil Sci166:137–149

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McLaughlin MJ, Singh BR (1999) Cadmium in soils and plants. Dev Plant Soil Sci 85:1–9

    Google Scholar 

  • McLaughlin MJ, Maier NA, Rayment GE, Sparrow LA, Berg G, McKay A, Milham P, Merry RH, Smart MK (1997) Cadmium in Australian potato tubers and soils. J Environ Qual 26:1644–1649

    Google Scholar 

  • Mead JA (1981) A comparison of the Langmuir, Freundlich and Temkin equations to describe phosphate adsorption properties of soils. Aust J Soil Res 19:333–342

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ministry of Agriculture (2003) Selected basic statistics of agriculture in Hamadan province. Office of statistic and programming, Hamadan, Iran

  • Moody PW, Bolland MDA (1999) Cadmium in soils and plants. Dev Plant Soil Sci 85:1–9

    Google Scholar 

  • Mortvedt JJ (1996) Heavy metal contaminants in inorganic and organic fertilizers. Fert Res 43:55–61

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mozaffari M, Sims JT (1994) Phosphorus availability and sorption in an Atlantic coastal plain watershed dominated by animal-based agriculture. Soil Sci 157:97–107

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Murphey J, Riley JP (1962) A modified single solution method for the determination of phosphate in natural waters. Anal Chim Acta 27:31–36

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Olsen SR, Flowerday AD (1971) Fertilizer phosphorus interactions in alkaline soils. In: Olsen RA et al. (eds) Fertilizer technology and use, 2nd edn. Soil Sci Soc Am, Madison, pp 153–185

    Google Scholar 

  • Olsen SL, Sommers LE (1982) Phosphorus. In: Page AL et al (eds) Methods of soil analysis, Part 2. American Society of Agronomy, Madison, pp 403–427

    Google Scholar 

  • Pena F, Torrent J (1990) Predicting phosphate sorption in soils of Mediterranean regions. Fertil Res 23:173–179

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Polyzopoulos NA, Keramidas VZ, Kiosse H (1985) Phosphate sorption by some Alfisols of Greece as described by commonly used isotherms. Soil Sci Soc Am J 49:81–84

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pote DH, Daniel TC, Sharpley AN, Moore PA, Edwards DR, Nichols DJ (1996) Relating extractable soil phosphorus to losses in runoff. Soil Sci Soc Am J 60:855–859

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Robbins CW, Westerman DT, Freeborn LL (1999) Phosphorus forms and extractability from three sources in a recently exposed calcareous subsoil. Soil Sci Soc Am J 63:1717–1724

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rowell DL (1994) Soil science: methods and applications. Longman, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Said MB, Dakermanji A (1993) Phosphate adsorption and desorption by calcareous soils of Syria. Commun Soil Sci Plant Anal 24:197–210

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sepahi A (1999) Petrology of the Alvand plutonic complex with special reference on granitoids. Ph.D. thesis. Tarbiat-Moallem University, Tehran, Iran, p 348 (in Persian)

  • Sharpley AN, Smith SJ (1989) Prediction of soluble phosphorus transport in agricultural runoff. J Environ Qual 18:313–316

    Google Scholar 

  • Sharpley AN, Foy RJ, Withers PJA (2000) Practical and innovative measures for the control of agricultural losses to water: an overview. J Environ Qual 29:1–9

    Google Scholar 

  • Sibbensen E, Sharpley AN (1997) Setting and justifying upper critical limits for phosphorus in soils. In: Tunny H, Carton OT, Brookes PC, Johnston AE (eds) Phosphorus loss from soil to water. CAB International, Wallingford

    Google Scholar 

  • Sims JT, Simard RR, Joern BC (1998) Phosphorus losses in agricultural drainage: Historical perspective and current research. J Environ Qual 27:277–293

    Google Scholar 

  • Sinclair AH, Reeves GA, Edwards AC (1989) The impact of agriculture on the phosphorous status of some Scottish soils. Aberdeen Lett Ecol 3:14–15

    Google Scholar 

  • Singh B, Gilkes RJ (1991) Phosphorus sorption in relation to soil properties for the major soil types of south-western Australia. Aust J Soil Res 29:603–618

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Skinner RJ, Todd AD (1998) Twenty-five years of monitoring pH and nutrient status of soils in England and Wales. Soil Use Manage 14:162–169

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smolders E, Lambregts RM, McLaughlin MJ, Tiller KG (1998) Effect of soil solution chloride on cadmium availability to Swiss chard. J Environ Qual 27:426–431

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Solis P, Torrent J (1989) Phosphate sorption by calcareous Vertisols and Inceptisols of Spain. Soil Sci Soc Am J 53:456–459

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sparrow LA, Salardini AA, Johnstones J (1994) Field studies of cadmium in potatoes (Solanum tubersum L.). III. Response of cv. Russet Burbank to sources of banded potassium. Aust J Agric Res 45:243–249

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sui Y, Thompson ML, Mize CW (1999) Redistribution of biosolids-derived total P applied to a Mollisol. J Environ Qual 28:1068–1074

    Google Scholar 

  • Tisdale SL, Nelson WL, Beaton JD (1985) Soil fertility and fertilizers, 4th edn. Macmillan, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang XJM, Jackman RS Yost, Linquist BA (2000) Predicting soil phosphorous buffer coefficients using potential sorption site density and soil aggregation. Soil Sci Soc Am J 64:240–246

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Weaver DM, Ritchie GSP, Anderson GC, Deeley CM (1988) Phosphorous leaching in sandy soils: I. Short-term effects of fertilizer applications and environmental conditions. Aust J Soil Res 26:177–190

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Weggler-Beaton K, McLaughlin MJ, Graham RD (2000) Salinity increases cadmium uptake by wheat and Swiss chard from soil amended with biosolids. Aust J Soil Res 38:37–45

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Withers PJA, Edwards AC, Foy RH (2001) Phosphorus cycling in UK agriculture and implications for phosphorus loss from soil. Soil Use Manage 17:139–149

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yli-Halla M, Hartikainen H, Vaatainen P (2002) Depletion of soil phosphorus as assessed by several indices of phosphorus supplying power. Eur J Soil Sci 53:431–438

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yuan TL, Lucas DE (1982) Retention of phosphorus by sand soils as evaluated by adsorption isotherms. Proc Soil Crop Sci Soc Fla 41:195–201

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhang TQ, Mackenzie AF, Liang BC (1995) Long-term changes in Mehlich−3 extractable P and K in a sandy clay loam soil under continues corn (Zea mays L.) Can J Soil Sci 75:361–367

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhou M, Rhue RD, Harries WG (1997) Phosphorus sorption characteristics of Bh and Bt horizons from sandy coastal plain soils. Soil Sci Soc Am J 61:1364–1369

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgment

The author is grateful to Dr. D.L. Rowell (Department of Soil Science, Reading University) who read and commented helpfully on a draft of the paper. The author is also especially grateful to Dr. D. Whittemore (Geohydrology Section, Kansas Geological Survey, University of Kansas) for critical review, perceptive comments and editing on the manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Soil Science, College of Agriculture, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamadan, Iran

    Mohsen Jalali

Authors
  1. Mohsen Jalali
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mohsen Jalali.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Jalali, M. Phosphorus status and sorption characteristics of some calcareous soils of Hamadan, western Iran. Environ Geol 53, 365–374 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00254-007-0652-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00254-007-0652-7

Keywords

Search

Navigation