PHOSPHATE MOBILIZATION BY ADDITION OF ORGANIC ACIDS IN TWO SOILS OF THE SOUTHERN GUINEA SAVANNA OF NIGRIA

ABSTRACT

One mechanism by which plants can mobilize organic and inorganic forms of phosphorus (P) in soils is by exudation of low molecular weight organic acids. Laboratory and field trial were carried out during 2011 and 2012 cropping seasons to study the effects of additions of organic acids ( citric, oxalic and tartaric acids) on the mobilization of phosphate of soils from Minna and Mokwa, both in Southern Guinea Savanna of Nigeria. For initial laboratory studies and prior to field cultivation, soil samples were collected from these locations and incubated at 25± 1oC and

40% moisture content for three weeks with citric, tartaric or oxalic acids at 1.0 mmol kg-1 of soil. Soil Olsen P and inorganic P fractions were analyzed. The experimental design used during the field trial was split plot design with organic material sources (orange waste, amaranthus and tamarind pulp) assigned to the main plot while the rates (0, 2.0, 4.0, 6.0 and 8.0 tons ha-1) of application occupied the sub-plots. Each treatment received three replications in each of the locations. Maize was planted during the two cropping seasons as test crop. Both agronomic, Olsen – P and soil inorganic P data were determined. The results indicated that Olsen – P and NH4Cl – P were significantly increased by treating with the three organic acids. Al phosphate (Al

– P), Fe phosphate (Fe –P), occluded phosphate (Occl – P) and Ca phosphate (Ca – P) were also

mobilized and released in various degrees in each of the locations irrespective of the cropping season. The relative fractions of inorganic P was in the order Occl – P > Fe – P > Al – P > Ca – P. The effect of organic acid sources on maize plant height at 4 and 7 weeks after planting in the two locations were not significant during 2011 cropping season, but significant during 2012 cropping season. However, the effect of sources of organic acid and their rates of application on maize grain yield was significant in each location and the season. It was also observed that the results of soil inorganic P after the field trial followed similar trend with what was obtained from

the initial laboratory studies (Occl – P > Fe – P > Al – P > Ca – P), but the effect was much lower. The order of increased mobilization of phosphate by these organic acids was citric acid > tartaric acid > oxalic acid and orange waste ˃ tamarind pulp ˃ amaranthus leaves respectively for both initial laboratory studies and field trial. Also, it could be concluded that hydroxyl acids i.e tricarboxylic acids such as citrate form stronger complexes than those containing single COOH groups. The pattern of P mobilization by addition of organic acids differed from one location to another. The comparison suggested that the mobilization of P was highly soil dependent, and the soil P status such as amount and distributions of P fractions may be important for solubilization of P after the addition of organic acids. These three organic acids therefore have the potentials to increase the availability of available P. The practical implication of these processes is that organic residues could be used as a strategic tool to reduce the rates of fertilizer P required for optimum crop growth on acidic and P-fixing soils of Nigeria.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Phosphorus  (P) is an important plant nutrient and the reactions of phosphate  with  soil components have been extensively studied from the point of view of soil  fertility, soil chemistry and environmental concerns (Parfit, 1978; Sanyal and De Datta, 1991; Hue et al., 1994; Wang et al., 2007). In tropical and subtropical acidic soils, low P availability becomes one of the limiting factors for plant growth; at the other extreme, accumulation of soil available P has negatively affected water quality (Sharpley, 1995). The misapplication of phosphate fertilizers usually causes  eutrophication  of water bodies, unbalanced plant nutrition and low P utilization  efficiency.   When soil phosphate  levels are too low, P deficiency in plant represents a major constraint to agricultural production (Palomo et al.,

2006). One problem is that P fertilizer  can largely be fixed by the oxides, hydroxides and oxyhydroxides  of Iron (Fe)   and Aluminium  (Al) and clay minerals in an  acidic  soils, which makes it less available or effectively unavailable to plants (Fankem   et al., 2006). This is because the availability of both applied and native P is controlled largely by, the sorption and desorption characteristics of the soil.

Variable charge minerals are also the major components  of most soils of the tropics  that affect P unavailability to plants. Such is the case with soils of Nigeria which is dominated by sesquioxides and low activity clays (Bala, 1992). The most likely areas appear to be those dominated by Oxisols, Ultisols and Alfisols. The low amount of total and available P in these soils make investigation  into problems associated with  phosphorus availability imperative. Already, the widespread occurrence of P deficiency in most arable land in Nigeria has led to the intensive use of P fertilizer.   It has been reported that land utilization also influences P sorption capacity (Odunze, 2009).

Due to the low solubility and high sorption capacity of P in soil, the supply of phosphate can be a major constrain to plant growth. There is overwhelming evidence, however, to suggest that some plants can directly modify the rhizosphere to gain access to previously unavailable soil P reserves. This can include the  deregulation of P membrane transport systems,  the manipulation  of root hair length  or density,  the release  of phosphates  to

replace organically  bound soil P and the release  of organic  acid and H+  to  solubilize inorganic P (Tinker and Nye, 2000).

Researches into management practices to increase phosphate availability in a  weathered soil, and at the same time curtail its leaching to contaminate lakes,  streams and ground water remains highly imperative. Efficient use and alternative management of phosphate fertilizers  are  critical  to  ensure  global  food  production  and  security  (Cordell  et  al.,

2009).The application of combined organic – inorganic inputs has been one management practices suggested to increase P availability in weathered soils (Agbenin and Igbokwe,

2006).

Soils contain complex, aromatic, relatively high molecular weight (i.e., > 2000) organic acids such as humic and fulvic acids (Hue et al., 1994). However,  structurally simpler organic acids also exist in the soil such as low molecular weight (citric, oxalic, succinic, malic,  tartaric  acids)  C-,  H-,  and  O- containing  compounds.  These  organic  acids  are characterized  by the  possession  of  one  or  more  carboxyl  groups  (Jones,  1998).  Soil organic acids are derived from plant and animal residues, microbial metabolism, canopy drips and rhizosphere activities (Hue et al., 1994; Wang et al., 2007).

In  a  review  of  organic  acid  in  the  rhizosphere,  Jones  (1998)  indicated  that  typical concentrations of organic acids in the soil ranges from 0.1 – 100 µmol L-1. Although the existence  of organic  acids in soils is short lived, organic acids may  be produced  and

formed continuously. Hence, organic acids have a very important chemical significance

(Jones, 1998) especially for the mobilization of various phosphates in soil  (Marschner,

1995). In addition, Jones (2000) and Palomo et al (2006) reported that secretion of organic acids (such as citric, tartaric, oxalic acids e.t.c.) from plant root was the major mechanism for enhancing P availability in soils and hence improving crop yields. The supply of P to plants is also strongly influenced in the rhzosphere by the presence of organic acids (Hue et al., 1994). This introduces the concept that it may be possible to mimic a plant’s release of organic acids by artificially incorporating acids into the soil which would increase P availability in soils with low P status.

Citric,  tartaric,  and  tannic  acids  derived  from  degradation  of  humic  substances  have greater affinity for Al and Fe oxides than phosphate (Violante and Huang, 1989). Thus, these organic acids can compete strongly with P for adsorption sites on Al and Fe oxide systems. In soils with appreciable  amounts of these oxides,  phosphate  sorption will be severely curtailed (Bar-Yosef, 1996). Organic acids/substances can be sorbed to both the external and internal surfaces of the mineral colloids. Fulvic, humic citric and  tartaric and acids were reported to be bound to the structural cations of edges and hydroxyl Al and Fe coatings on mineral colloids (Huang, 2004)

The  uptake  of  P  from  soil  through  root  exudation  is  mostly  from  various  inorganic phosphate.  Although  the  mobilization  is  very  complex,  some  understanding  of  the mechanism have been gained. Hinsinger (2001) reported that the solubility of Ca increases

with a decreasing pH of the environment due to H+  released of organic acids from plant

roots.  The  cheletion  of Fe3+, Al3+   and  Ca2+   by organic  anions  lead  to the  release  of inorganic P bound by these cations (Jones et al., 2003), and organic anions that compete with  P adsorption  on the surface  of  soil  particles  further  stimulate  the  desorption  of adsorbed anions (He et al., 1998)

Although the competitive adsorption of P and organic ligands by synthetic clay minerals and oxides have been extensively studied (Sibanda and Young, 1986; Kafkafi et al.,1988; Violante and Gianfreda, 1995; Violante et al.,1996), there is a limited information on the fate of P in the presence of organic acids in natural soils (Yuan, 1980; .He et al., 1997). Therefore the exact mechanism among soil inorganic colloids, organic acids and P has not been well- understood.  While some detailed studies have been carried out on some soils of  the  derived  savannas  of  Nigeria  especially  in  terms  of  P  sorption  and  desorption characteristics, very little attention has been given to the soils of the Southern Guinea part of the Nigeria Savanna (Tsado, 2008). Thus, the need arises for specific studies aimed at understanding the effect of some selected organic acids on phosphate mobilization in these soils. This will facilitate making specific recommendations for P availability to plants with a view to boosting agricultural productivity in the Southern Guinea agro ecology.

This study investigated  the effect of some selected organic acids on the availability  of phosphate  in  some  of the  soils  of the  Nigerian  Southern  Guinea  Savanna.  Thus,  the specific objectives were to:

1.   investigate the effect of different organic compounds on the adsorption of phosphate in some major soil types of Southern Guinea Savanna Zone of Nigeria,

2.   study  the  influence  /  regular  application  of  different  rates  of  the  organic  material applications to the preceding year cropping and

3.   evaluate  phosphate  sorption  characteristics  of  these  soils  with  a  view  to   efficient management of P fertilization.

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