Phosphorus speciation by P-XANES in an Oxisol under long-term no-till cultivation

Abstract In highly weathered soils with low phosphorus (P) content and high P fixing capacity, long-term application of P fertilizers may influence P speciation. The combined use of macro- and microscopic techniques can provide information on P distribution and reactivity in soils, which is an important key to determine its loss potential into the environment. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effects of rates of P on solid-state P speciation in an Oxisol under no-till (NT) for 26 years in Brazil. Soil samples were collected from experimental plots that received 0 to 50 kg ha−1P annually. X-ray Fluorescence microanalysis (µ-XRF), X-ray Absorption Near-Edge Structure (XANES), and Extended X-ray Absorption Fine Structure (EXAFS) spectroscopies were used along with soil mineralogical and conventional chemical analyses. Phosphorus availability increased with the applied P rates. Based on the µ-XRF analysis, high Pearson correlation coefficients (r) were obtained for P vs Al, Si and Fe contents (r = 0.97, 0.81 and 0.84, respectively, with P