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Phosphorus (P) tracing in natural environments is challenging, lacking stable P isotopes Oxygen isotope ratios in phosphate (δ18OP) represent a novel tool for tracing the biological cycling of P from the global scale down to hotspots at the micro‐scale and within particular soil compartments such as aggregates or pores. Despite the small number of studies available so far, existing data indicate that δ18OP values point to where, at what extent and how efficiently P is recycled in soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable arable cropping relies on repeated liming. Yet, the associated increase in soil pH can reduce the availability of iron (Fe) to plants. We hypothesized that repeated liming, but not pedogenic processes such as lessivage (i.e., translocation of clay particles), alters the Fe cycle in Luvisol soil, thereby affecting Fe isotope composition in soils and crops. Hence, we analysed Fe concentrations and isotope compositions in soil profiles and winter rye from the long‐term agricultural experimental site in Berlin‐Dahlem, Germany, where a controlled liming trial with three field replicates per treatment has been conducted on Albic Luvisols since 1923. Heterogeneity in subsoil was observed at this site for Fe concentration but not for Fe isotope composition. Lessivage had not affected Fe isotope composition in the soil profiles. The results also showed that almost 100 years of liming lowered the concentration of the HCl‐extractable Fe that was potentially available for plant uptake in the surface soil (0–15 cm) from 1.03 (standard error (SE) 0.03) to 0.94 (SE 0.01) g kg−1. This HCl‐extractable Fe pool contained isotopically lighter Fe (δ56Fe = −0.05 to −0.29‰) than the bulk soil (δ56Fe = −0.08 to 0.08‰). However, its Fe isotope composition was not altered by the long‐term lime application. Liming resulted in relatively lower Fe concentrations in the roots of winter rye. In addition, liming led to a heavier Fe isotope composition of the whole plants compared with those grown in the non‐limed plots (δ56FeWholePlant_ + Lime = −0.12‰, SE 0.03 vs. δ56FeWholePlant_‐Lime = −0.21‰, SE 0.01). This suggests that the elevated soil pH (increased by one unit due to liming) promoted the Fe uptake strategy through complexation of Fe(III) from the rhizosphere, which favoured heavier Fe isotopes. Overall, the present study showed that liming and a related increase in pH did not affect the Fe isotope compositions of the soil, but may influence the Fe isotope composition of plants grown in the soil if they alter their Fe uptake strategy upon the change of Fe availability. Highlights: Fe concentrations and stocks, but not Fe isotope compositions, were more heterogeneous in subsoil than in topsoil.Translocation of clay minerals did not result in Fe isotope fractionation in the soil profile of a Luvisol.Liming decreased Fe availability in topsoil, but did not affect its δ56Fe values.Uptake of heavier Fe isotopes by graminaceous crops was more pronounced at elevated pH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electromagnetic induction (EMI) data are often used to investigate spatial and temporal patterns of soil texture, soil water content and soil salinity. We hypothesized that the EMI methodology might thus also offer potential to detect agricultural legacy effects originating from fertilizer application and irrigation of different fields. Therefore, we performed EMI measurements on two long‐term field experiments (LTFE) at Thyrow near Berlin (Germany) that differed in agricultural management with regard to long‐term irrigation in combination with mineral (NPK and lime) and organic amendments (straw and farmyard manure). Two different rigid‐boom multi‐coil EMI instruments were used to measure simultaneously the apparent electrical conductivity (ECa) over nine different depth ranges to study the entire soil profile from topsoil to deep subsoil. Additionally, soil samples were taken from the different treatments to ground‐truth the measurements and disentangle the nutrient application or irrigation effects from natural soil heterogeneity. The soil samples indicated a rather homogenous soil and the correlation between soil parameters or states were not significant. However, the treatments showed significant differences in measured ECa values. In general, ECa values were largest on regularly irrigated as well as on mineral and organic fertilized plots, with regular irrigation exhibiting the largest impact on EMI records even though the last application was months before the EMI measurement. Overall, this study reveals that EMI data can support the classical in situ assessment of agricultural management effects within LTFE, while offering new potentials in detecting and understanding legacy effects of agricultural management on spatial soil properties at farm level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phosphorus (P) species in colloidal and dissolved soil fractions may have different distributions. To understand which P species are potentially involved, we obtained water extracts from the surface soils of a gradient from Cambisol, Stagnic Cambisol to Stagnosol from temperate grassland in Germany. These were filtered to <450 nm, and divided into three procedurally defined fractions: small-sized colloids (20-450nm), nano-sized colloids (1-20nm), and dissolved P (<1nm), using asymmetric flow field-flow fractionation (AF4), as well as filtration for solution 31P-nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The total P of soil water extracts increased in the order Cambisol43-/pyrophosphate were absent in nano-sized (1-20nm) colloids from the Cambisol but not in the Stagnosol. The 31P-NMR results indicated that this was accompanied by elevated portions of organic P in the order Cambisol>Stagnic Cambisol>Stagnosol. Across all soil types, elevated proportions of inositol hexakisphosphate (IHP) species (e.g., myo-, scyllo- and D-chiro-IHP) were associated with soil mineral particles (i.e., bulk soil and small-sized soil colloids), whereas other orthophosphate monoesters and phosphonates were found in the dissolved P fraction. We conclude that P species composition varies among colloidal and dissolved soil fractions after characterization using advanced techniques, i.e., AF4 and NMR. Furthermore, stagnic properties affect P speciation and availability by potentially releasing dissolved inorganic and ester-bound P forms as well as nano-sized organic matter-Fe/Al-P colloids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stagnant water conditions may release phosphorus (P) in soil solution that was formerly bound to Fe oxides. To understand which P species are potentially involved, we obtained water extracts from the surface soils of a gradient from Cambisol, Stagnic Cambisol to Stagnosol from temperate grassland, Germany. These were filtered to < 450 nm, and divided into three procedurally-defined fractions: small-sized colloids (20-450 nm), nano-sized colloids (1-20 nm), and "dissolved P" (< 1 nm), using asymmetric flow field flow fractionation (AF4), as well as filtration for solution 31P-NMR spectroscopy. The total P of soil water extracts increased in the order Cambisol< Stagnic Cambisol< Stagnosol due to increasing contributions from the dissolved P fraction. Associations of C-Fe/Al-PO43-/pyrophosphate were absent in nano-sized (1-20 nm) colloids from the Cambisol but not in the Stagnosol. The 31P-NMR results indicated that this was accompanied by elevated portions of organic P in the order Cambisol > Stagnic Cambisol > Stagnosol. Across all soil types, elevated proportions of inositol hexakisphosphate species (e.g. myo-, scyllo-, and D-chiro-IHP) were associated with soil mineral particles (i.e. bulk soil and small-sized soil colloids) whereas other orthophosphate monoesters and phosphonates were found in the 'dissolved' P fraction. We conclude that stagnic properties affect P speciation and availability by potentially releasing dissolved inorganic and ester-bound P forms as well as nano-sized organic matter-Fe/Al-P colloids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]