Phosphorus Forms and Distribution in Soils: A Comparative Study of Different Land Use Types

Abstract

Phosphorus (P) is a critical macronutrient for plant and microorganism development, playing a vital role in energy transmission, cell structure, biomass accumulation, and primary productivity. However, its low availability in tropical and subtropical soils often limits agricultural output. This study investigated phosphorus forms and distribution in soils: a comparative study of different land use types in Anyigba, Kogi State University area. Twenty-four soil samples were collected from four land uses (forest, cultivated, fallow, and built-up areas) at two depths (0-15 cm and 15-30 cm). The study employed a 4 × 3 × 2 factorial experiment in a Randomized Complete Block Design. Soil analyses revealed low levels of available P, with the highest concentration found in forest land (10.92 mg/kg) and the lowest in cultivated land (8.97 mg/kg). Phosphorus forms declined with depth, and iron-bound phosphorus (Fe-P) was the dominant inorganic phosphorus fraction. The results suggest that continuous crop cultivation leads to lower organic matter content and phosphorus concentrations in cultivated soils. This study highlights the importance of phosphorus fraction investigations in cultivated soils to inform fertilizer recommendations and boost productivity.

Keywords

• Land use types
• soil depths
• phosphorus fractions
• forest ecosystems
• cultivated ecosystems.

References

1. Adegbenro, R. O., Ojetade, J. O., & Amusan, A. A. (2011). Effect of topography on phosphorus forms and distribution in soils formed is schist in Ife area. Journal of Agriculture and Veterinary Sciences 5(1), 86-105.
2. Aguiar, A. C. F., Cândido, C. S., Carvalho, C. S., Monroe, P. H. M., & Moura, E. G. (2013). Organic matter fraction and pools of phosphorus as indicators of the impact of land use in the Amazonian periphery. Ecological Indicators 30, 158-164.
3. Ali, S., Yusufu, B., Moses, S. E., Abu, M. (2012). The scramble for lugard house: Ethnic identity politics and recurring tensions in Kogi State, Nigeria. Canadian Social Science 8(1), 130-135.
4. Amhakhian, S. O., Isitekhale, H. H., & Ezeaku, P. I. (2006). Influence of land uses on structural stability of some guinea savanna soils in Anyigba. Kogi State proceedings Soil science society of Nigeria, 30: 308-314.
5. Asmare, M., Heluf, G., Markku, Y., & Birru, Y. (2015). Phosphorus status, inorganic phosphorus forms, and other physicochemical properties of acid soils of Farta District, Northwestern Highlands of Ethiopia. Applied and Environmental Soil Science, 1-11
6. Audu, E. B. (2001). The hydrological consequences of urbanization in Nigeria: Case Study of Lokoja, Kogi State. Master Thesis, Federal University of Technology (Unpublished), Niger.
7. Azadi, A., & Baghernejad, M. (2016). Evaluation of the status of p fractions and their relationships with selected soil properties in some calcareous soils. Jordan Journal of Agricultural Sciences 12(1): 275-287.
8. Brady, N. C., & Weil, R. R. (2008). The nature and properties of soil. 13th ed, prentice Hall Inc. New Jersy.

9. Bray, R. H., & Kurzt, L. T. (1945). Determination of total organic and available forms of phosphorus in soils. Soil Science 59, 39-45.
10. Busman, L., Lamb, J., Randall, G. R., & Schmit, M. (2002). The nature of phosphorus in soils. University of Minnesota Extension Service.
11. Cessa, R. M.A., Celi, L., Vitorino, A. C. T., Novelino, J. O., & Barberis, E. (2009). Specific surface area and porosity of the clay fraction and phosphorus adsorption in two Rhodic Ferralsols. Revista Brasileira de Ciencia do Solo 33(5), 1153-1162.
12. Chacon, N., & Dezzeo, N. (2004). Phosphorus fractions and sorption processes in soil samples taken in a forest-savanna sequence of the Gran Sabana in Southern Venezuela. Biology and Fertility of Soils 40, 14–19.
13. Gama-Rodrigues, A. C., Sales, M. V. S., Silva, P. S. D., Comerford, N. B., Cropper, W. P., & Gama-Rodrigues, E. F. (2014). An exploratory analysis of phosphorus transformation in tropical soils using structural equation modeling. Biogeochemistry 118, 453-469.
14. Gatiboni, L. C., & Condron, L. M. (2021). A rapid fractionation method for assessing key soil phosphorus parameters in agroecosystems. Geoderma 385(2), 114893.
15. Geissen, V., Sanchez-Hernandez, R., Kampichler, C., Ramos-Reyes, R., Sepulveda-Lozada, A., Ochoa-Goana, S., de Jong, B. H. J., Huerta-Lwanga, E., & Hernandez-Daumas, S. (2009). Effects of land-use change on some properties of tropical soils – an example from Southeast Mexico. Geoderma 151, 87–97.
16. Hinsinger, P. (200)1. Bioavailability of soil inorganic P in the rhizosphere as affected by root-induced chemical changes: A review. Plant and Soil 237(2), 173-195.
17. Ifatimehin, O. O., Adeyemi, J. O., & Ajayi, M. E. (2012). An Analysis of the Environmental Correlates of Malaria Risk in Kabba Town, Nigeria. Journal of Geography, Environmental and Planning 8(1), 54-59.
18. Johnson, A. H., Frizano, J., Vann, D. R. (2013). Mechanisms of phosphorus availability in natural environments. Journal of Ecology 101(2), 241-248.
19. Karazawa, T., & Tabeke, M. (2012). Temporal or spatial arrangements of cover crops to promote arbuscular mycorrhizal colonization and P uptake of upland crops grown after nonmycorrhizal crops. Plant and Soil 353(1-2), 355-366.
20. Khan, M. S., Haq, M. U., & Khan, S. (2013). Phosphorus deficiency and plant growth. Journal of Plant Nutrition 36(10), 1631-1642.
21. Leg, J. O., & Black, C. A. (1955). Determination of organic phosphate in soils:2. Iginition Method. Soil Science Society of America Proceedings 19, 139-142.
22. Maranguit, D., Guillaume, T., & Kuzyakov, Y. (2017). Land-use change affects phosphorus fractions in highly weathered tropical soils. Catena 149, 385–393
23. McDowell, R. W., & Stewart, I. (2006). The phosphorus composition of contrasting soils in pastoral, native and forest management in Otago, New Zealand: Sequential extraction and 31P NMR. Geoderma 130, 176–189.
24. Mou, X. M., Wu, Y., Niu, Z., Jia, B., Guan, Z. H., Chen, J., Lia, H., Cuia, H., Kuzyakova, Y., & Li, X. G. (2020). Soil phosphorus accumulation changes with decreasing temperature along a 2300 m altitude gradient. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment 301, 1–10.
25. Mustapha, S., Yerima, S. L., Voncir, N., & Ahmed, B. I. (2007). Contents and distribution of phosphorus forms in a Haplic Plinthaquults in Bauchi Local Government Area, Bauchi, State. International Journal of Soil Science 2 (3), 197-203.
26. Njoku, C. C. (2019). Assessment of fertility status of soils under land use types in Egbema area, Imo State, Nigeria. Journal of Agriculture and Food Sciences 17(2), 1-13.
27. Omoregie, Anthony, O., Akin'Ova, Olufunke Adenike, Esuruoso, and Oladipo Felix, (1999). Soil weathering and calcium-phosphorus composition. Journal of Soil Science 20(1), 12-20.
28. Osodeke, V. E ., & Uba, A. F. (2005). Determination of phosphorus fraction in selected soils of Southeastern Nigeria. International Journal of Natural and Applied Sciences 1(1), 10-14.
29. Rodriguez, J., Self, J., & Soltanpour, P. (1994). Optimal conditions for phosphorus analysis by the ascorbic acid-molybdenum blue method. Soil Science Society of America Journal 58(3), 866-870.
30. Rowe, H., Withers, P. J. A., Baas, P., Chan, N. I., Doody, D., Holiman, J., Jacobs, B., Li, H., MacDonald, G. K., McDowell. R., Sharpley, A. N., Shen, J., Taheri, W., Wallenstein, M., & Weintraub, M. N. (2016). Integrating legacy soil phosphorus into sustainable nutrient management strategies for future food, bioenergy and water security. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems 104(3), 393-412.
31. Tellen, V. A., & Yerima, B. P. K. (2018). Effects of land use change on soil physicochemical properties in selected areas in the North West region of Cameroon. Environmental Systems Research 7, 1-29.
32. Trivedi, S. K., Tomar, R. A. S., Tomar, P. S., & Gupta, N. (2010). Vertical distribution of different forms of phosphorus in alluvial soils of gird region of Madhya Pradesh. Journal of the Indian Society of Soil Science 58, 86- 90.
33. Turner, B. L., Brenes-Arguedas, T., & Condit, R. (2018). Pervasive phosphorus limitation of tree species but not communities in tropical forests. Nature 555, 367–370.
34. Udo, E. J., Ibia, T. O., Ogunwale, J. A., Ano, A. O., Esu, I. E. (2009). Manual of soil, plant and water analysis. Sibon Books Ltd, Lagos, Nigeria.
35. Umoh, F. O., Effiong, G. S., UdO, E. I. (2019). Phosphorus fixation capacity of selected soils under mung bean (Vigna radiate (L) Wilezek) cropping systems in South Eastern Nigeria. AKSU Journal of Agriculture and Food Sciences 2(1), 26-34.
36. Uzoho, B. U. (2010). Nitrogen and phosphorus dynamics of municipal solid waste compost-amended Ultisol in Southeastern. PhD Thesis, (unpublished), Nigeria.
37. Yli-Halla, M. (2016). Fate of fertilizer p in soils: Inorganic pathway. In: Schnug E, De Kok LJ (Eds.), Phosphorus in agriculture: 100% Zero. Springer Netherlands, Dordrecht, pp. 27-40.