Thuy, P.T.P.; Hoa, N.M.; Dick, W.A. Reducing Phosphorus Fertilizer Input in High Phosphorus Soils for Sustainable Agriculture in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam. Agriculture2020, 10, 87.
Thuy, P.T.P.; Hoa, N.M.; Dick, W.A. Reducing Phosphorus Fertilizer Input in High Phosphorus Soils for Sustainable Agriculture in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam. Agriculture 2020, 10, 87.
Thuy, P.T.P.; Hoa, N.M.; Dick, W.A. Reducing Phosphorus Fertilizer Input in High Phosphorus Soils for Sustainable Agriculture in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam. Agriculture2020, 10, 87.
Thuy, P.T.P.; Hoa, N.M.; Dick, W.A. Reducing Phosphorus Fertilizer Input in High Phosphorus Soils for Sustainable Agriculture in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam. Agriculture 2020, 10, 87.
Abstract
High rates of phosphorus (P) currently being applied to soils for the production of vegetables in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam has led to the concern of its negative effect on the economics and the environment. This research presents a comprehensive study on the determination of P supplying capacity in this region of Vietnam to examine the possibility of reducing P fertilizer input. One hundred twenty (120) soil samples were collected to evaluate total P and Bray 1 available P in the soils. Phosphorus maximum sorption, degree of P saturation, P release, and the effect of P fertilizer on corn (Zea mays L.) yield in greenhouse and fields were also determined. Total P concentrations of 56.7% soil samples evaluated yielded high P concentrations (>560 mg P/kg), while 74.2% of the samples had high Bray 1 available P concentrations (>20 mg P/kg soil). Maximum P sorption ranged from 149 to 555 mg P/kg soil, respectively and has negative correlation to available P (r = - 0.63*), degrees of P saturation ranged from 0.63 to 5.46% correlated to available P (r = 0.98**) and maximum P release ranged from 1.2 to 61.9 mg P/kg soil, respectively correlated to available P (r = 0.96**). Corn grown in soils with available P concentrations >15 mg P/kg did not respond to P fertilizer in greenhouse or field experiments. We conclude that many farmers in this region can reduce P fertilizer input, thus increasing their profits and reducing negative environmental impacts associated with excess soil P for sustainable agriculture.
Keywords
total P; bray 1 available P; P sorption; P saturation; P release; P fertilizer input; corn yield
Subject
Environmental and Earth Sciences, Soil Science
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
