An evaluation of eight soil phosphate extractants on acidic wheat-growing soils

In a study using earlier data from 44 wheat field experiments on acidic (pH \u3c 5.6) soils in southern New South Wales, eight soil phosphate extractants (Bray,, Bray,, neutral fluoride, Mehlich, Truog, lactate, Olsen and Colwell) were evaluated and calibrated in terms of responsiveness (â) and response curvature (C) parameters derived from the Mitscherlich equation. All extraction procedures, except Colwell, had a standard shaking time of 30 min and so1ution:soil ratio of 50. The order of efficacy of the tests was different from that obtained on moderately acid to alkaline soils of central and northern New South Wales. Neutral fluoride and acidic sulfate (Truog) replaced lactate as the best extractant, followed by the double acid Mehlich extractant. The Colwell test was more effective on these very acid soils than on the more alkaline soils, being equal to Bray1 and greatly superior to Bray2 and Olsen. The critical values of the fluoride, Mehlich, Truog, lactate and Colwell tests were significantly lower than they were for more alkaline soils in central New South Wales. The changes in extraction procedures could explain the lower critical values of the lactate and Truog tests, but differences in the critical values of the other three tests were inconsistent with changes in extraction procedures. The results support the hypothesis that a different phosphate extractant is required on very acid soils from that required on moderately acid to alkaline soils

Effects of phosphate buffer capacity on yield response curvature and fertilizer requirements of wheat in relation to soil phosphate tests

Data from 39 fertilizer field experiments in north-western New South Wales were used to examine the effects of phosphate buffer capacity on yield response curvature and fertilizer requirements of wheat in relation to six soil phosphate tests (Bray1, Bray2, BSES, Truog, lactate, and bicarbonate). The soil tests were also evaluated for their accuracy in predicting yield responsiveness in a total of 48 experiments. There was a highly significant negative correlation between buffer capacity and response curvature, accounting for nearly 50% of the variance in curvature. The accuracy of the relationship was highest for moderately and strongly buffered soils. When used to predict curvature and hence fertilizer requirements, buffer capacity increased the variance accounted for by the most effective soil test (lactate) from 32% to 75%, compared with 93% using actual response curvatures. Whether used to predict responsiveness or fertilizer requirement, the lactate test was superior and the bicarbonate test was inferior to other soil tests. The bicarbonate test accounted for only half as much variance in responsiveness as the lactate test, and it accounted for none of the variance in fertilizer requirement. The results confirmed earlier studies showing that the bicarbonate test has several intrinsic properties which make it inferior to other soil tests on moderately acid to alkaline soils

Yield responsiveness and response curvature as essential criteria for the evaluation and calibration of soil phosphate tests for wheat

In a study using data from 57 wheat field experiments on the central-western slopes of New South Wales, eight soil phosphate tests (Bray,, Bray,, alkaline fluoride, Mehlich, Truog, lactate, Olsen and Colwell) were evaluated and calibrated in terms of responsiveness (â) and response curvature (C) parameters derived from the Mitscherlich equation. The results showed that, regardless of how well correlated a soil test is with yield responsiveness, it cannot give a satisfactory estimate of fertilizer requirement unless yield response curvature is also taken into account. The tendency of soil test values, especially of the Colwell test, to be negatively related to response curvature, and hence inversely related to fertilizer effectiveness, compounded the problem of directly relating soil test values to fertilizer requirement. The best test (lactate) accounted for only 28% of the variance in fertilizer requirement, compared with 50% of the variance in responsiveness, and the worst test (Colwell) was completely unrelated to fertilizer requirements. When fertilizer requirement was estimated from the lactate test value and the actual response curvature for each experiment, 68% of the variance (from the actual fertilizer requirement) was accounted for. Thirteen experiments were subject to drier conditions than the others, and these were less responsive and had lower fertilizer requirements relative to soil test values. In relation to yield responsiveness, the Colwell test was most sensitive (P \u3c 0.001) to dry conditions, while the two best tests (lactate and Bray,) were the least sensitive (P \u3e 0.05). The results demonstrated the superiority of acidic anionic extractants over alkaline bicarbonate extractants on moderately acid to alkaline wheat-growing soils