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Updated: Jul 12, 2026

Measuring Phosphorus Release in Laboratory Microcosms for Water Quality Assessment
Published on: July 22, 2019
Effects of phosphorus fertilization on microbial carbon use efficiency and soil organic matter decomposition in
Wako Koizumi1, Timothy J Clough2, Soichi Kojima1
1Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan.
Abstract:
Phosphorus (P) availability affects soil carbon (C) cycling, including microbial C use efficiency (CUE) and priming effects (PEs). While non-allophanic Andosols are characterized by high organic C content and strong P retention, the effects of different P fertilization regimes on C dynamics in these soils remain poorly understood. In this study, we conducted a 20-day incubation experiment using 13C-enriched glucose to investigate how different soil available P levels (Truog P: 157 mg P kg-1 and 12 mg P kg-1) impacted microbial C dynamics in non-allophanic Andosols from contrasting field management practices. Our results showed that soil organic matter (SOM) priming was associated with P fertilization management, with total primed CO2-C emissions remaining low in these soils. In high-P soils, the addition of glucose and nitrogen (N) resulted in negative PEs, whereas in low-P soils, the same treatment stimulated microbial SOM mining, resulting in positive PEs. Additionally, glucose-derived CUE was higher in high-P soils than in low-P soils after 20 days of incubation. These findings suggest that long-term P fertilization influences both substrate-induced microbial assimilation and SOM decomposition, with P limitation potentially promoting SOM mining, which, along with concurrent soil acidity and exchangeable Al toxicity, modulates CUE. This study provides insights into improving C sequestration in non-allophanic Andosols through soil fertility management.
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