Phosphorus has low mobility in the soil. Thus, its concentration near the granules of phosphate fertilizers in the soil is very high, which may affect P availability and the soil chemical composition in these regions. This study was carried out to evaluate the soil chemical composition near the granules of calcium or ammonium phosphates and P mobility in two Brazilian acid soils. The experiment was carried out in 2009 and treatments consisted of a combination of triple superphosphate (TSP) or diammonium phosphate (DAP) with KCl, in addition to a control with only KCl. Each experimental unit was constituted by PVC columns (12 cm long and 10 cm in diameter), subsequently filled with 1.20 kg of soil (dry base). The amount of TSP, DAP and KCl applied to each experimental unit was 10.47, 9.56 and 7.33 g respectively, which, considering a soil volume of 2 x 10³ m³, would be equivalent to 200 kg ha-1 of P2O5 and 200 kg ha-1 of K2O. Forty-five days after fertilizers application the soil volume in each centimeter distant from the granules was chemically quantified. For P, nine consecutive extractions were performed using the methods of Mehlich-1 and anion exchangeable resin (AER). DAP increased pH and decreased exchangeable Al near the granules while SFT increased both, Ca and Mg. The amount of cumulative P extracted varied with phosphate fertilizers, distance from the granules, soil type and extraction method. In the 0 to 1.0 cm layer distant from the granules TSP gave the highest P values, that reached up to 10,276 mg dm-3; in the two following layers (1.0 to 2,0 and 2.0 to 3.0 cm), this occurred with DAP. Mehlich-1 always quantified more P than AER in the soil near the phosphate fertilizers. The movement of P in both soils occurred until the fourth centimeter away from the granules and the soil chemical composition in these regions varied with the phosphate fertilizer, soil type, extraction method and distance from the granules, which needs to be better studied.
diffusive flux; exchangeable cations; phosphorus reactions; Mehlich 1; anion exchangeable resin
