Availability of rock phosphate with low P content in some Albanian soil: use of 32PO4

The availability of a calcareous low P content rock phosphate (4,3% P) was measured. This Albanian ore was used, in pot experiments, on various local soils whose the pH is situated between 4,9 to 7,5. This phosphate was labelled with 32P and 45Ca in a reactor. The residual effect of this fertilizer was deduced from the results of isotopic dilution kinetic of phosphate ions realized in soil-solution systemes. The main results can be summarized as follow: 1. When the soil-water pH was higher than 6,1, the utilization coefficient of phosphorus was minus than 1%, even with 5,5 mounths. 2. The ratio of P and Ca derived from fertilizer and taken up by the crop is most generally different of those measured in the fertilizer. It depends of the soil constitution. 3. The analysis of isotopic dilution kinetic of phosphate ions shows that in the major part of these soils, whose the fixing capacity is very high, the rock phosphate and also superphosphate at 230 kg P2O5.ha-1 rate does not increase available soil phosphorus; it is only with rates over 800 kg P2O5.ha-1 that this objective can be reached. These results explain again that the fixing capacity of soil for phosphorus is a characteristic more useful for fertilization technique than the available phosphorus quantity