EFFECT OF P-BUFFER CAPACITY AND P-RETENTION INDEX OF SOILS ON SOIL TEST-P, SOIL TEST P-CALIBRATIONS AND YIELD RESPONSE CURVATURE

Twenty-three virgin Western Australian soils of different buffer capacities (BC) for phosphorus (P) were collected. The effects of BC on the relationships between Colwell soil test P and the level of P applied, yield and soil test P, and yield and the level of P applied were studied. Wheat (Triticum aestivum cv. Reeves), grown for 27 days in a glasshouse, was used. Two methods of measuring P sorption of soils, P buffer capacity (PBC) and P retention index (PRI), were used. The PBC is determined from a multi-point sorption curve. The PRI is a new, diagnostic, one-point, sorption method now widely used for commercial soil P testing in Western Australia. Both PBC and PRI produced similar results. The relationship between soil test P and the level of P applied was adequately described by a linear equation. When the slope coefficient of the linear equations was related to PBC or PRI, there was no relationship. The other two relationships were adequately described by a Mitscherlich equation. When the curvature coefficient of the Mitscherlich equation was related to PBC or PRI, the trend was for the value of the coefficient to decrease with increasing PBC or PRI. Consequently, as the capacity of the soil to sorb P increased the trend was for larger soil test P or higher levels of P application to produce the same yield.