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DOI

Maintaining an adequate phosphorus (P) supply for plants and microorganisms is central to agricultural production; however, the long-term effects of organic manure and inorganic fertilizer application on soil P cycling remain unclear. Organic P cycling in a sandy loam soil receiving medium and high rates of farmyard manure (FYM) with and without mineral fertilisers was studied in a long-term field experiment with 14C/33P isotope labelling and metagenomic shotgun sequencing. FYM application alone negatively affected soil total P and organic P (Po) accumulation by enhancing crop offtake, enhancing Po mineralisation and stimulating P loss from the topsoil by reducing its P sorption potential. The P mineralisation/immobilisation rates detected by the 33P pool dilution method were significantly correlated with the abundance of microbial P cycling genes. Soil available C and N concentrations were related to gross P mineralisation/immobilisation rates and the abundance of P uptake/scavenging genes. Microbial genes related to P uptake and metabolism were more abundant than P scavenging genes, while P scavenging genes may work efficiently as both of them can sustain similar P mineralisation and immobilisation rates. The addition of FYM also promoted phosphatase activity reflecting the increased supply of Po in these soils. Our study demonstrates that long-term FYM application alters soil Po stocks and cycling, and that microbial functional gene abundance was coupled with P cycling rates.

Keywords

  • Long-term fertilisation, Phosphorus cycling, Soil layers, Substrate sorption, Waste management and recycling
Original languageEnglish
Article number107959
JournalSoil Biology and Biochemistry
Volume149
Early online date14 Aug 2020
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Oct 2020
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