Phosphorus speciation and colloidal phosphorus responses to short-term cessation of fertilization in a lime concretion black soil

Abstract

Long-term excessive application of mineral fertilizer has led to soil acidification and phosphorus (P) accumulation, increasing the risk of P loss and environmental pollution, and cessation of fertilization is widely considered as a cost-effective management strategy to relieve this situation; however, how such cessation influences P speciation and concentrations in a bulk soil and colloidal fractions and whether decreasing P concentration might maintain soil fertility remain unclear. In this study, the effects of long-term fertilization (ca. 40 years) and short-term cessation of fertilization (ca. 16 months) on inorganic, organic, and colloidal P in lime concretion black soil were investigated using P sequential fractionation and ³¹P nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. After long-term fertilization, available P, dicalcium phosphate, iron-bound P, orthophosphate monoesters, and orthophosphate diesters increased significantly, but soil pH decreased by ca. 2.8 units, indicating that long-term fertilization caused soil acidification and P accumulation and changed P speciation markedly. In contrast, short-term fertilization cessation increased soil pH by ca. 0.8 units and slightly reduced available and inorganic P. Available P after fertilization cessation was 22.9–29.8 mg kg^–1, which was still sufficient to satisfy crop growth requirements. Additionally, fertilization cessation increased the proportions of fine colloids (100–450 nm, including nontronite and some amorphous iron oxides) and drove a significant release of iron/aluminum oxide nanoparticles (1–100 nm) and associated P with orthophosphate and pyrophosphate species. In summary, short-term fertilization cessation effectively alleviated soil acidification and inorganic P accumulation, while concomitantly maintaining soil P fertility and improving the potential mobilization of P associated with microparticles.