Contrasting Effects of Four Plant Residues on Phosphorus Sorption-Desorption in Some Phosphorus Fertilized Calcareous Soils

Four types of plant residues (fruit waste, potato, sunflower, and wheat) with wide ranges of carbon to nitrogen (C/N) and carbon to phosphorus (C/P) ratios were added to the soil at the rate of 20 g kg−1 (dry weight basis) and incubated for two months. In soils treated with plant residues, the P sorption ranged from 62.0% (potato) to 96.6% (wheat) and from 12.6% (fruit waste) to 50.6% (wheat) when 20 and 1500 mg P kg−1 were added to the soils, respectively. In general, incorporation of plant residues decreased maximum P sorption capacity but increased bonding energy. The maximum P sorption capacity was reduced from 586 mg kg−1to 500, 542, and 548 by wheat, fruit, and potato residues, respectively, but increased to 665 mg kg−1 by sunflower residue. At higher P addition, the highest percentage of desorbed P was observed in soils treated with wheat residue (49.9%); followed by fruit waste (46.5%), potato (43.5%), sunflower (38.8%) and control soils (37.0%). It indicated that the P content of the organic residues had an important role in the sorption and desorption of P in calcareous soils. Among organic residues, sunflower residue showed high sorption and low desorption of P in soils, indicating a higher potential of this organic residue for P retention and reducing surface and groundwater contamination in calcareous soils.