Phosphate Sorption Capacity in Relation to Properties of Several Types of Kenya Soil

Abstract

Fertilizer trials and pot tests on soils in the greenhouse, have shown that phosphorus; s the most important nutrient limiting: the productivity of a great majority of Kenya Solis. The amount of available phosphorus is generally low particularly in the red, bracken one and ando-like soils without the addition of fertilizers. However, the addition of phosphatic fertilizers to these soils results in remarkable yield increases, provided other conditions are favorable, but the increases in available phosphorus are usually slight. The lack of increase in available phosphorus is attributable to the chemical reactions which the soluble phosphates undergo in the soil resulting in the formation of phosphate products or lower solubility than the phosphate in the fertilizers themselves.