ISSN:
1573-5036
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition
Notes:
Summary In previous work, the yield of phosphorus in plants grown in the greenhouse on 36 alkaline soils was correlated significantly with the organic phosphorus mineralized during incubation of the soils in the laboratory, independently of the labile inorganic phosphorus. In this investigation, the same soils were used to test the hypothesis that the apparent organic-phosphorus effect observed previously was an indirect effect of CO2 evolved from soil organic matter in increasing the susceptibility of the inorganic phosphorus to uptake by plants. The hypothesis was tested on the basis of measurements of CO2 evolved and organic phosphorus mineralized concurrently during incubation of the soils in the laboratory. Statistical tests showed that the yield of phosphorus in the plants was correlated significantly with the organic phosphorus mineralized, independently of correlations with CO2 evolved and labile inorganic phosphorus; the yield of phosphorus in plants, however, was not correlated significantly with CO2 evolved, independently of correlations with organic phosphorus mineralized and labile inorganic phosphorus. The results thus provide no justification for discarding the organic-phosphorus theory and for substituting the CO2 theory in its place.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF01348948
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