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Legacy phosphorus lability shifts after Atlantic Forest conversion to sugarcane
Amin Soltangheisi1, Gabriel Pinheiro Silva2, Wellington Soares2
1School of Environmental and Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, LL57 2DG, UK.
The Science of the Total Environment
|September 12, 2025
Summary
Brazilian sugarcane systems show efficient phosphorus use, with increased labile P and decreased organic P after land conversion. Legacy phosphorus accumulation was limited, challenging prior assumptions.
Area of Science:
- Soil Science
- Agronomy
- Environmental Science
Background:
- Phosphorus (P) fertilization is crucial for Brazilian sugarcane productivity.
- Concerns exist regarding inefficient P use and legacy P accumulation in sugarcane systems.
- Land use change from native vegetation to sugarcane impacts soil P dynamics.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate changes in soil P fractions following conversion from Atlantic Forest to sugarcane cultivation.
- Assess the influence of land use on labile, moderately labile, and non-labile P pools.
- Evaluate legacy P accumulation and P fixation capacity in tropical soils.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a rapid sequential P fractionation method.
- Analyzed soil samples from surface (0-10 cm) and subsurface (10-20 cm) layers.
- Compared P fractions in long-term sugarcane fields and adjacent native vegetation.
Main Results:
- Sugarcane cultivation led to increased labile and moderately labile P (Mehlich-3, NaOH-Pi) due to fertilization.
- Organic P significantly declined, particularly in surface soils under sugarcane.
- Total P and occluded P (non-labile) showed no significant accumulation or change, indicating limited legacy P and fixation.
Conclusions:
- Brazilian sugarcane systems may utilize phosphorus more efficiently than previously assumed.
- Soil clay content influences organic P retention, with higher retention in native vegetation.
- Findings challenge common assumptions about extensive legacy P accumulation in tropical sugarcane systems.
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