The effects of phosphorus addition on phytoavailability of zinc by diffusive gradientsin thin films (DGT)

Authors: OSMAN SÖNMEZ, GARY PIERZYNSKI, CENGİZ KAYA, SALİH AYDEMİR

Abstract: Diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT) have been used for the assessment of Zn phytoavailability. Phosphorus is of particular interest in soils having Zn toxicity because of the Zn-P interaction. A greenhouse study was carried out to assess the influence of different P rates on the Zn phytoavailability to sorghum-Sudan grass (Sorghum vulgare var. Sudanese) in soil systems by DGT. Soil was amended with ZnSO₄ at 0, 150, 300, 600, and 1200 mg Zn kg^-1 in order to create various levels of Zn phytoavailability. Phosphorus was applied to soil at 0, 100, and 200 mg P kg^-1 as KH₂PO₄. Plant nutrients were added as Hoagland's solution. In general, plant tissue Zn concentrations were elevated by increasing Zn concentration in soils, and they decreased by increasing P concentrations. However, this reduction was not found in C-DGT results. In other words, DGT did not predict the effects of P additions compared to Zn. P application decreased plant Zn concentrations and increased plant biomass yields. The highest relative yield in shoot tissue was with P₂₀₀ × Zn₁₅₀ treatment, while the lowest one was with P₀ × Zn₁₂₀₀ treatment. In general, increasing P concentrations in the soil increased shoot yields relative to control, while increasing Zn concentrations decreased the relative shoot yields where no P was added. P addition might be an alternative strategy for remediation of Zn contaminated soil, since addition of P decreased Zn phytoavailability and enhanced plant growth.

Keywords: DGT, metal bioavailability, metal uptake, phosphorus, zinc

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