This scientic publication in digital format is a continuation of the Printed Review: Legal Deposit pp 196802ZU42, ISSN 0378-7818.
  Rev. Fac. Agron. (LUZ). 2023, 40(2): e234015. Enero-Marzo. ISSN 2477-9407.
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Resumen
En  el  país  es  frecuente  encontrar suelos decientes en fósforo, 
para solucionar este problema se aplican fertilizantes fosfatados de 
alta solubilidad. La roca fosfórica parcialmente acidulada (RFA) con 
ácido sulfúrico es una alternativa económica. La sustitución parcial 
del ácido sulfúrico por el tiosulfato de amonio (R30T) ha demostrado 
ser factible. El objetivo del trabajo fue estudiar el efecto de estas tres 
fuentes de fósforo sobre el comportamiento del maíz.  Para el trabajo se 
usaron un suelo neutro y otro ácido, cuatro dosis de P: 0, 70, 140 y 210 
mg.kg
-1
, en un experimento en invernadero. Las plantas se cosecharon 
a los 35 días y se tomaron muestras de suelo y raíces, para analizar 
fósforo, materia seca, longitud radical (LR) y volumen radical (VR). 
La sustitución parcial del ácido sulfúrico por tiosulfato de amonio 
no afectó la calidad de la roca acidulada. Se encontró una relación 
estrecha entre la biomasa y la concentración de P en el follaje con el 
P residual en el suelo. La LR y  VR aumentaron signicativamente 
con el primer incremento de P en el suelo, incrementos sucesivos de 
P residual produjeron una disminución del tamaño de las raíces. La 
relación LR y VR con P absorbido y biomasa no fue igual en los dos 
suelos, en el suelo ácido fue mayor la dependencia del P absorbido y 
de la biomasa que en el suelo neutro.
Palabras clave: longitud radical, tiosulfato de amonio, roca 
fosfórica, volumen radical.
Resumo
A deciência de fósforo é muito comum no País. Para solucionar 
esse problema, são aplicados fertilizantes fosfatados de alta 
solubilidade. A rocha fosfática parcialmente acidicada (PRA) com 
ácido sulfúrico é uma alternativa econômica. A substituição parcial do 
ácido sulfúrico por tiossulfato de amônio (R30T) provou ser viável. O 
objetivo do trabalho foi estudar o efeito dessas três fontes de fósforo 
no comportamento do milho. Para o trabalho, utilizou-se solo neutro e 
ácido, quatro doses de P: 0, 70, 140 e 210 mg.kg
-1
, em experimento em 
casa de vegetação. As plantas foram colhidas após 35 dias e amostras 
de  solo  e  raízes  foram  coletadas  para  determinação  de  fósforo, 
matéria seca, comprimento radicular (RL) e volume radicular (VR). A 
substituição parcial do ácido sulfúrico por tiossulfato de amônio não 
afetou a qualidade da rocha acidicada. Foi encontrada uma estreita 
relação entre a biomassa e a concentração de P na folhagem com o 
P residual no solo. O LR e VR aumentaram signicativamente com 
o primeiro aumento de P no solo, sucessivos aumentos de P residual
produziram uma diminuição no tamanho da raiz. A relação LR e VR
com P absorvido e biomassa não foi a mesma nos dois solos, no solo
ácido a dependência do P absorvido e biomassa foi maior do que no
solo neutro.
Palavras-chave:  comprimento  de  raiz,  rocha  fosfática,  superfície 
radial, tiossulfato de amônio.
Introduction
Acid  soils  are,  in  general,  decient in  phosphorus,  which  is  a 
limiting factor for the adequate nutrition of crops and, consequently, 
for productivity. To solve this problem, high solubility but expensive 
fertilizers are applied to the soil. The use of phosphate rock acidied 
with sulfuric acid has been an attempt to improve the solubility of 
the rock and the release of available P (Panda and Misra, 1970). 
Subsequently, the authors tried to improve the acidulation of 
phosphate rock by replacing 30 % of the sulfuric acid with ammonium 
thiosulfate (unpublished data), the eciency of this way with respect 
to acidied phosphate rock has been successfully tested by Sequera 
and Ramirez (2003; 2013) and Morillo et al. (2007). Ammonium 
thiosulfate is a liquid fertilizer (12 % N and 26 % S) that acts as a 
reductant by oxidizing sulfur and acidifying the medium.
Under  phosphorus  stress  conditions,  modications  in  certain 
root characteristics can occur, resulting in a greater absorption area, 
occupying a larger soil volume and consequently a greater increase 
in phosphorus uptake (Kranmitz et al., 1991; Sachay et al., 1991; 
Gahonia and Nilsen, 1996; 1998; Yan Ding et al., 2021; Li F. et al., 
2004; Li H.B. et al., 2001).
Dierences  in  P  uptake  capacity  by  plants  can  be  explained, 
in part, by variations in morphological attributes of root systems 
(Gahoonia  et al., 1997; Fohse et al., 1991). In phosphorus-poor 
soils, root length (RL), root volume (RV), root surface area and root 
radius play an important role in the processes of phosphorus uptake 
and accumulation in the plant (Zoysa et al., 1997). There is evidence 
that there are dierences among sorghum cultivars in their eciency 
to take up soil P from poorly soluble sources (Ramirez and Lopez, 
2000). These dierences could be attributed to changes in rhizosphere 
composition  in  phosphorus-poor  soils  (Hana  and  Leslee,  1996; 
Zoysa et al., 1997).
The objective of this work was to study the release of available 
phosphorus, in soil, by three fertilizers: Triple superphosphate (SFT), 
Riecito phosphate rock acidied at 50 % with sulfuric acid (RFA) and 
Riecito phosphate rock where 30 % of the sulfuric acid was replaced 
by ammonium thiosulfate (R30T) in the course of acidulation and, on 
the other hand, the eect of residual available P on biomass and root 
behavior of maize (Zea mays L.), in short-term experiments on two 
soils of dierent pH.
Materials and methods
Two soils were used for the study, sampled between 0 and 25 cm 
depth. The rst one, located in Lara state, corresponded to a clayey 
Tropohumults of pH 4.7, with 14 mg.kg
-1
 of P, 158 mg.kg
-1
 of Ca, 
1.5 cmol.kg
-1
 of Al and 4 % of organic matter. Hereafter it will be 
identied as acid soil. The other soil was located in Yaracuy state and 
classied as an Oxic Haplustalfs sandy clay loam of pH 7.4, with 7 
mg.kg
-1
 of P, 1287 mg.kg
-1
 of Ca, 0.32 cmol.kg
-1
 of Al and 1.6 % of 
organic matter. Hereafter it will be identied as neutral soil. The soils 
were air-dried and sieved with a 3 mm mesh.
The phosphate fertilizers used were triple superphosphate (46 
% P
2
O
5
 and 21 % CaO), Riecito rock phosphate (10.56 % total P) 
acidied  at  50  %  with  sulfuric  acid  and  Riecito  rock  phosphate 
acidied at 50 % replacing 30 % of the sulfuric acid with ammonium 
thiosulfate.
Four doses of P were applied: 0, 70, 140 and 210 mg.kg
-1
 soil, all 
treatments received a uniform dose in 150 mg N.kg
-1
 soil as urea and 
30 mg K.kg
-1
 as KCl.
Four kg of each soil were weighed and placed in plastic pots 
with a capacity of 5 liters, the soil of each of them was mixed with 
the P of the respective treatment plus N and K, then the soils were 
moistened and 4 seeds of  maize variety Seoarca 94 were sown in 
each pot. Seven days after germination, the plants were thinned, 
leaving two per pot. During the experiment the available water in the 
soil was maintained between 30 and 90 % of the eld capacity, adding 
demineralized water when necessary.