Decrease in soil test phosphorus levels under omitted phosphorus fertilizer application

Kristin Steinfurth; Gunnar Börjesson; Pascal Denoroy; Bettina Eichler-Löbermann; Wolfgang Gans; Johannes Heyn; Juliane Hirte; Florian Jansen; Dierk Koch; Ines Merbach; Alain Mollier; Christian Morel; Kerstin Panten; Edgar Peiter; Paul R. Poulton; Thomas Reitz; Gitte Holton Rubæk; Heide Spiegel; Michael van Laak; Sabine von Tucher; Uwe Buczko

doi:10.1111/sum.13088

Decrease in soil test phosphorus levels under omitted phosphorus fertilizer application

Kristin Steinfurth^*, Gunnar Börjesson, Pascal Denoroy, Bettina Eichler-Löbermann, Wolfgang Gans, Johannes Heyn, Juliane Hirte, Florian Jansen, Dierk Koch, Ines Merbach, Alain Mollier, Christian Morel, Kerstin Panten, Edgar Peiter, Paul R. Poulton, Thomas Reitz, Gitte Holton Rubæk, Heide Spiegel, Michael van Laak, Sabine von TucherUwe Buczko

^*Corresponding author for this work

Department of Agroecology

Research output: Contribution to journal/Conference contribution in journal/Contribution to newspaper › Journal article › Research › peer-review

Abstract

Many European cropped soils have high soil test P (STP) values in the top soil because of P accumulation over many years of fertilizer application. This should allow to save P fertilizer applications for some years without STP values decreasing to a level that might negatively impact crop yield. However, the way STP develops under omitted P fertilizer application is not well understood. We examined STP development under omitted P fertilizer application for timeframes between 7 and 46 years on 96 unfertilized treatments (P0 treatments) of 43 European long-term P field experiments, using five different STP methods. For comparability, values obtained by different STP methods were converted to Olsen-P concentrations. We fitted exponential decay curves to Olsen-P data of each P0 treatment defined by initial Olsen-P values (Olsen-P_i), rates of decrease (k) and asymptotes (A), reflecting minimum obtainable STP. Subsequently, we analysed whether the variables most commonly recorded in experiments, are sufficient to explain the variation in model parameters, these variables being P export, clay content, C_org and pH as well as average annual temperature and precipitation. We found that out of our predictor variables, soil clay content, precipitation and temperature were showing the most prominent effects on the parameters Olsen-P_i, A or k. However, the amount of variation explained by the considered variables was too low to potentially facilitate a prediction of STP decrease, and various P0 treatments showed no clear Olsen-P decrease or unexpectedly high asymptotes. This hints at a strong influence of the P sorption capacity of the soil with often high potential for replenishment from less available P pools. In connection with P introduction from the subsoil or possibly from surrounding plots, the extension of timeframes of omitted P fertilizer application without reaching critical STP values for crop production, might be explainable. Corresponding effects could not be analysed because of lack of data for most P0 treatments, calling for the additional determination of, for example, the maximum P sorption capacity, total P and subsoil P in future experiments.

Original language	English
Article number	e13088
Journal	Soil Use and Management
Volume	40
Issue	3
ISSN	0266-0032
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/sum.13088
Publication status	Published - Jul 2024

Keywords

European long-term field experiments
exponential decline
legacy P
Olsen-P
residual P

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Steinfurth, K., Börjesson, G., Denoroy, P., Eichler-Löbermann, B., Gans, W., Heyn, J., Hirte, J., Jansen, F., Koch, D., Merbach, I., Mollier, A., Morel, C., Panten, K., Peiter, E., Poulton, P. R., Reitz, T., Rubæk, G. H., Spiegel, H., van Laak, M., ... Buczko, U. (2024). Decrease in soil test phosphorus levels under omitted phosphorus fertilizer application. Soil Use and Management, 40(3), Article e13088. https://doi.org/10.1111/sum.13088

@article{bb7c83e2e24547c087adf4b83a8a81a3,

title = "Decrease in soil test phosphorus levels under omitted phosphorus fertilizer application",

abstract = "Many European cropped soils have high soil test P (STP) values in the top soil because of P accumulation over many years of fertilizer application. This should allow to save P fertilizer applications for some years without STP values decreasing to a level that might negatively impact crop yield. However, the way STP develops under omitted P fertilizer application is not well understood. We examined STP development under omitted P fertilizer application for timeframes between 7 and 46 years on 96 unfertilized treatments (P0 treatments) of 43 European long-term P field experiments, using five different STP methods. For comparability, values obtained by different STP methods were converted to Olsen-P concentrations. We fitted exponential decay curves to Olsen-P data of each P0 treatment defined by initial Olsen-P values (Olsen-Pi), rates of decrease (k) and asymptotes (A), reflecting minimum obtainable STP. Subsequently, we analysed whether the variables most commonly recorded in experiments, are sufficient to explain the variation in model parameters, these variables being P export, clay content, Corg and pH as well as average annual temperature and precipitation. We found that out of our predictor variables, soil clay content, precipitation and temperature were showing the most prominent effects on the parameters Olsen-Pi, A or k. However, the amount of variation explained by the considered variables was too low to potentially facilitate a prediction of STP decrease, and various P0 treatments showed no clear Olsen-P decrease or unexpectedly high asymptotes. This hints at a strong influence of the P sorption capacity of the soil with often high potential for replenishment from less available P pools. In connection with P introduction from the subsoil or possibly from surrounding plots, the extension of timeframes of omitted P fertilizer application without reaching critical STP values for crop production, might be explainable. Corresponding effects could not be analysed because of lack of data for most P0 treatments, calling for the additional determination of, for example, the maximum P sorption capacity, total P and subsoil P in future experiments.",

keywords = "European long-term field experiments, exponential decline, legacy P, Olsen-P, residual P",

author = "Kristin Steinfurth and Gunnar B{\"o}rjesson and Pascal Denoroy and Bettina Eichler-L{\"o}bermann and Wolfgang Gans and Johannes Heyn and Juliane Hirte and Florian Jansen and Dierk Koch and Ines Merbach and Alain Mollier and Christian Morel and Kerstin Panten and Edgar Peiter and Poulton, {Paul R.} and Thomas Reitz and Rub{\ae}k, {Gitte Holton} and Heide Spiegel and {van Laak}, Michael and {von Tucher}, Sabine and Uwe Buczko",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2024 The Author(s). Soil Use and Management published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British Society of Soil Science.",

year = "2024",

month = jul,

doi = "10.1111/sum.13088",

language = "English",

volume = "40",

journal = "Soil Use and Management",

issn = "0266-0032",

publisher = "Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd.",

number = "3",

}

Steinfurth, K, Börjesson, G, Denoroy, P, Eichler-Löbermann, B, Gans, W, Heyn, J, Hirte, J, Jansen, F, Koch, D, Merbach, I, Mollier, A, Morel, C, Panten, K, Peiter, E, Poulton, PR, Reitz, T, Rubæk, GH, Spiegel, H, van Laak, M, von Tucher, S & Buczko, U 2024, 'Decrease in soil test phosphorus levels under omitted phosphorus fertilizer application', Soil Use and Management, vol. 40, no. 3, e13088. https://doi.org/10.1111/sum.13088

TY - JOUR

T1 - Decrease in soil test phosphorus levels under omitted phosphorus fertilizer application

AU - Steinfurth, Kristin

AU - Börjesson, Gunnar

AU - Denoroy, Pascal

AU - Eichler-Löbermann, Bettina

AU - Gans, Wolfgang

AU - Heyn, Johannes

AU - Hirte, Juliane

AU - Jansen, Florian

AU - Koch, Dierk

AU - Merbach, Ines

AU - Mollier, Alain

AU - Morel, Christian

AU - Panten, Kerstin

AU - Peiter, Edgar

AU - Poulton, Paul R.

AU - Reitz, Thomas

AU - Rubæk, Gitte Holton

AU - Spiegel, Heide

AU - van Laak, Michael

AU - von Tucher, Sabine

AU - Buczko, Uwe

PY - 2024/7

Y1 - 2024/7

N2 - Many European cropped soils have high soil test P (STP) values in the top soil because of P accumulation over many years of fertilizer application. This should allow to save P fertilizer applications for some years without STP values decreasing to a level that might negatively impact crop yield. However, the way STP develops under omitted P fertilizer application is not well understood. We examined STP development under omitted P fertilizer application for timeframes between 7 and 46 years on 96 unfertilized treatments (P0 treatments) of 43 European long-term P field experiments, using five different STP methods. For comparability, values obtained by different STP methods were converted to Olsen-P concentrations. We fitted exponential decay curves to Olsen-P data of each P0 treatment defined by initial Olsen-P values (Olsen-Pi), rates of decrease (k) and asymptotes (A), reflecting minimum obtainable STP. Subsequently, we analysed whether the variables most commonly recorded in experiments, are sufficient to explain the variation in model parameters, these variables being P export, clay content, Corg and pH as well as average annual temperature and precipitation. We found that out of our predictor variables, soil clay content, precipitation and temperature were showing the most prominent effects on the parameters Olsen-Pi, A or k. However, the amount of variation explained by the considered variables was too low to potentially facilitate a prediction of STP decrease, and various P0 treatments showed no clear Olsen-P decrease or unexpectedly high asymptotes. This hints at a strong influence of the P sorption capacity of the soil with often high potential for replenishment from less available P pools. In connection with P introduction from the subsoil or possibly from surrounding plots, the extension of timeframes of omitted P fertilizer application without reaching critical STP values for crop production, might be explainable. Corresponding effects could not be analysed because of lack of data for most P0 treatments, calling for the additional determination of, for example, the maximum P sorption capacity, total P and subsoil P in future experiments.

AB - Many European cropped soils have high soil test P (STP) values in the top soil because of P accumulation over many years of fertilizer application. This should allow to save P fertilizer applications for some years without STP values decreasing to a level that might negatively impact crop yield. However, the way STP develops under omitted P fertilizer application is not well understood. We examined STP development under omitted P fertilizer application for timeframes between 7 and 46 years on 96 unfertilized treatments (P0 treatments) of 43 European long-term P field experiments, using five different STP methods. For comparability, values obtained by different STP methods were converted to Olsen-P concentrations. We fitted exponential decay curves to Olsen-P data of each P0 treatment defined by initial Olsen-P values (Olsen-Pi), rates of decrease (k) and asymptotes (A), reflecting minimum obtainable STP. Subsequently, we analysed whether the variables most commonly recorded in experiments, are sufficient to explain the variation in model parameters, these variables being P export, clay content, Corg and pH as well as average annual temperature and precipitation. We found that out of our predictor variables, soil clay content, precipitation and temperature were showing the most prominent effects on the parameters Olsen-Pi, A or k. However, the amount of variation explained by the considered variables was too low to potentially facilitate a prediction of STP decrease, and various P0 treatments showed no clear Olsen-P decrease or unexpectedly high asymptotes. This hints at a strong influence of the P sorption capacity of the soil with often high potential for replenishment from less available P pools. In connection with P introduction from the subsoil or possibly from surrounding plots, the extension of timeframes of omitted P fertilizer application without reaching critical STP values for crop production, might be explainable. Corresponding effects could not be analysed because of lack of data for most P0 treatments, calling for the additional determination of, for example, the maximum P sorption capacity, total P and subsoil P in future experiments.

KW - European long-term field experiments

KW - exponential decline

KW - legacy P

KW - Olsen-P

KW - residual P

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85199768381&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1111/sum.13088

DO - 10.1111/sum.13088

M3 - Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:85199768381

SN - 0266-0032

VL - 40

JO - Soil Use and Management

JF - Soil Use and Management

IS - 3

M1 - e13088

ER -

Decrease in soil test phosphorus levels under omitted phosphorus fertilizer application

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Keywords

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