Myrlene Chrysostome, Vimala Nair, and Willie Harris. Soil and Water Science, University of Florida, 106 Newell Hall, P.O. Box 110510, Gainesville, FL 32611
Surface horizons of Spodosols have practically no phosphorus (P) retention capacity compared to those of other soil orders. Therefore, when Spodosols receive heavy amounts of P from manure, P is lost from the soil through leaching. The spodic (Bh) horizon, however, has high P retention capacity due to high aluminum (Al) and organic carbon. The objective of this study was to determine changes in P storage of Bh horizons due to P loading. Twenty Bh horizon samples were selected from archived soil characterization samples collected throughout the state of Florida. These soils encompass numerous Spodosols series with varying depths to the Bh horizon. Physical and chemical characteristics were determined for these soils including total carbon, clay content, total P, water soluble P (WSP), Mehlich 1 and oxalate extractable P, Al and Fe. Each soil was then incubated for six weeks at six P rates (0, 50, 100, 150, 200, 300 mg P kg-1). At the end of the incubation period, the soils were analyzed for WSP and oxalate extractable P, Al, and Fe. The P saturation ratio (PSR) and the soil P storage capacity (SPSC) were calculated for all samples after the study using the oxalate extractable P, Al and Fe concentrations. Results showed that the change point for the PSR above which WSP concentrations increased abruptly was at a PSR of approximately 0.1. The storage capacity of the Bh horizons decreased significantly with increasing P additions and the changes were proportional to the amounts of P loaded to the soils.