Mitigating Iron Toxicity by Using Rock Phosphate to Improve Rice Productivity

Iron toxicity is a major constraint to rice production, particularly in highly weathered soils of inland valleys in Sub-Saharan Africa where the rice growing area is rapidly expanding. This study aimed to improve the productiveness of iron toxicity sensitive’s rice fields as well as in the unsensitive fields by using local phosphate fertilizers. Eighteen (18) rice genotypes were been assessed in a split plot design in two areas: without iron toxicity and with iron toxicity. NPK, NK, Rock Phosphate, Triple super phosphate, Calcined phosphate and Acidulated phosphate were used as fertilizers. Data collection was focused on agronomic traits and yield (g/m2). The best fertilizers in the area without iron toxicity were NPK (820.2 g/m2) and triple super phosphate (751.7 g/m2). In the iron toxicity area, the best yields were performed by NPK (785.5 g/m2) and raw calcined phosphate (698.3 g/m2). Yet, the Accessions 15, Accessions 225, Accessions 226 and Accessions 270 were rainfed rice genotypes while CC109 A, HB 46 and HB 62 were low-land/irrigated rice genotypes. NPK, NK and acidulated phosphate fertilizers alleviate the best, iron toxicity in both sensitive and unsensitive rice fields.

Residual Effects of Phosphate Amendments on Rainfed Rice (Oryza sativa L.) Nutrition and Soil Properties in Three Agroecological Zones of Côte d’Ivoire

A study was conducted in Côte d’Ivoire to assess the after-effect of phosphate amendments on rice yields and soil properties. Eight types of amendments, composed of Moroccan phosphate rock (PRM) and triple superphosphate were tested in three agroecological zones over three consecutive years of cultivation. This study revealed that the application of Moroccan phosphate rock (PRM) and/or triple superphosphate (TSP) did not significantly affect soil cation exchange capacity (CEC) and organic carbon (Corg) content. However, there was a negative residual effect of PRM-rich treatments on soil pH and K and N content, but the impact varies depending on the characteristics of the soils studied. Furthermore, nutrient losses, notably nitrogen from −17.5 to −267.7 kg/ha and potassium (−0.1 to 0.7 kg/ha), were observed in all treatments. Only phosphorus showed a positive balance of +49.56 to +52 kg/ha in PRM-rich treatments. Treatment T3, composed of 80% RPM and 20% TSP, was the most effective in all zones, with a relative increase in grain yields of over 100% compared to the control. These results suggest that the input of natural phosphate rock can significantly improve rice yields and soil properties in the studied agroecological zones in Côte d’Ivoire.

Effects of Acidiphilium cryptum on biosolubilization of rock phosphate in the presence of Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans

The bioleaching of pyrite and biosolubilization of rock phosphate （RP） in 9K basal salts medium were compared by the following strains of an autotrophic acidophilic bacterium, Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans, a heterotrophic acidophilic bacterium, Acidiphilium cryptum, and mixed culture of At. ferrooxidans and A. cryptum. The results show that A. cryptum is effective in enhancing the bioleaching of pyrite and biosolubilization of RP in the presence of At. ferrooxidans, although it could not oxidize pyrite and solubilize RP by itself. This effect is demonstrated experimentally that A. cryptum enhances a decrease in pH and an increase in redox potential, concentration of total soluble iron and planktonic part bacterial number in the broth during pyrite bioleaching processes by At. ferrooxidans. The mixed culture of At. ferrooxidans and A. cryptum leads to the most extensive soluble phosphate released at 30 °C. Pulp density exceeding 3% is shown to adversely influence the release of soluble phosphate by the consortium of At. ferrooxidans and A. cryptum. It is essential to add pyrite to the 9K basal salts medium for the biosolubilization of RP by the mixed culture of At. ferrooxidans and A. cryptum, and the percentage of soluble phosphate released is the greatest when the mass ratio of RP to pyrite is 1：2 or 1：3.

Phosphorus release from phosphate rock and iron phosphate by low-molecular-weight organic acids

Low-molecular-weight(LMW) organic acids widely exist in soils, particularly in the rhizosphere. A series of batch experiments were carried out to investigate the phosphorus release from rock phosphate and iron phosphate by low-molecular-weight organic acids. Results showed that citric acid had the highest capacity to solubilize P from both rock and iron phosphate. P solubilization from rock phosphate and iron phosphate resulted in net proton consumption. P release from rock phosphate was positively correlated with the p K _a values. P release from iron phosphate was positively correlated with Fe-organic acid stability constants except for aromatic acids, but was not correlated with p K _a. Increase in the concentrations of organic acids enhanced P solubilization from both rock and iron phosphate almost linearly. Addition of phenolic compounds further increased the P release from iron phosphate. Initial solution pH had much more substantial effect on P release from rock phosphate than from iron phosphate.

Rock Phosphate Solubilization Mechanisms of One Fungus and One Bacterium

Many microorganisms can dissolve the insoluble phosphates like apatite. However, the mechanisms are still not clear. This study was an attempt to investigate the mechanisms of rock phosphate solubiliza-tion by an Aspergillus 2TCiF2 and an Arthrobacter1TCRi7. The results indicated that the fungus produced a large amount of organic acids, mainly oxalic acid. The total quantity of the organic acids produced by the fungus was 550 times higher than that by the bacterium. Different organic acids had completely different capacities to solubilize the rock. Oxalic acid and citric acid had stronger capacity to dissolve the rock than malic acid, tartaric acid, lactic acid, acetic acid, malonic acid and succinic acid. The fungus solubilized the rock through excreting both proton and organic acids. The rock solubilization of the bacterium depended on only proton.

Solubilization of Rock Phosphate in Liquid Culture by Fungal Isolates from Rhizosphere Soil

Rock phosphate （RP） is a low efficiency P fertilizer that is directly applied to the soil and can be solubilized by phosphate-solubilizing microorganisms （PSMs） in fermentation or soil conditions. This study investigated dynamic solubilization of 2 concentrations of rock phosphate in a liquid culture with different dosages of glucose by two fungal isolates,Aspergillus niger P39 and Penicillium oxalicum P66, from soybean and wheat rhizosphere soil. Although during the 20 day culture period A. niger P39 had a stronger ability to acidify the culture media than P. ozalicum P66, soluble P concentrations at glucose dosages of 30 and 50 g L^-1 with RP of 15 g L^-1 in the culture solution were much higher by P. oxalicum P66. The greater effectiveness of P. oxalicum P66 compared to A. niger P39 in the solubilization of RP was strongly associated with the production of organic acids. This study suggested that for RP solubilization the type rather than the concentration of PSM-produced organic acids was more important.

Removal of Lead,Copper,Zinc and Cadmium from Water Using Phosphate Rock

Removal of Pb^2＋, Cu^2＋, Zn^2＋ and Cd^2＋ from aqueous solutions by sorption on a natural phosphate rock （FAP） was investigated. The effects of the contact time and initial metal concentration were examined in the batch method. The percentage sorption of heavy metals from solution ranges generally between 50% and 99%. The amount of sorbed metal ions follows the order Cu〉Pb〉Cd〉Zn. Heavy metal immobilization was attributed to both surface complexation of metal ions on the surface of FAP grains and partial dissolution and precipitation of a heavy metal-containing phosphate. The very low desorption ratio of heavy metals further supports the effectiveness of FAP as an alternative and low-cost material to remove toxic Pb^2＋, Cu^2＋, Zn^2＋ and Cd^2＋ from polluted waters.

Phosphate Rock Fertilizer in Acid Soils: Comparing Phosphate Extraction Methods for Measuring Dissolution

Three phosphate extraction methods were used to investigate the dissolution, availability and transformation of Kunyang phosphate rock (KPR) in two surface acid soils. Dissolution was determined by measuring the increase in the amounts of soluble and adsorbed inorganic phosphate fractions, and did not differ significantly among the three methods. Significant correlations were obtained among P fractions got by the three extraction methods. Dissolution continued until the end of the 90 day incubation period. At the end of the period, much of the applied phosphate recovered in both soils were in the Al and Fe P or in the hydroxide and bicarbonate extractable inorganic P fractions. The dissolution of KPR in the two soils was also similar: increased addition of phosphate rock resulted in decreased dissolution. The similarity in the order and extent of dissolution in the two soils was probably due to the similarity in each soil of several factors that are known to influence phosphate rock dissolution, namely low CEC, pH, P level, and base status; and high clay and free iron and aluminum oxide contents. The results suggested that KPR could be an alternative P source in the long, if not the short, term in the soils, provided that those factors influencing P availability in the soils are not limiting.

Phosphate rock reduces the bioavailability of heavy metals by influencing the bacterial communities during aerobic composting

Available information on the microbial mechanisms associated with heavy metal(HM)passivation during co-composting amended with phosphate rock(PR)remains limited.Thus,this study investigated the dynamic changes in bacterial communities and HM-fractions(Zn,Cu,Cd,Cr and Pb)during swine manure composting with maize straw,and ascertained the bacterial influence on HM-passivation.The results demonstrated that the addition of PR improved HM-passivation,especially for Zn and Cd,with their bioavailability factors(BFs)reduced by 247.41 and 176.25%,respectively.As for bacterial communities,the proportion of Firmicutes decreased,while the proportions of Proteobacteria,Bacteroidetes,DeinococcusThermus and Gemmatimonadetes increased in all treatments.PR significantly changed the primary bacterial phyla in the thermophilic phase.Bacteroidetes were the main bacterial component controlling the passivation of Zn,Cu and Cr,while Deinococcus-Thermus mainly regulated the mobility of Zn and Pb,and Proteobacteria only dominated the transformation among Cd-fractions.These results may provide a reference for the use of HM-passivation techniques during composting.

Bio-decomposition of rock phosphate containing pyrites by Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans

Leaching soluble phosphorus from rock phosphate containing pyrites by Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans (A.f.) is feasible, and the reaction mechanism is as follows. Pyrites are oxidized by A.f. to produce H_2SO_4 and FeSO_4; the rock phosphate is decomposed by H_2SO_4, forming soluble phosphorus compounds; and Fe2+ from FeSO_4 is oxidized to Fe^3+, providing energy for the growth of A. f.. In this process, as H_2SO_4 is produced in the reaction, an acidic condition in the culture medium is formed, which benefits the growth of A. f. and aids both continuous oxidation of pyrites and leaching of soluble phosphorus from rock phosphate. The fraction of phosphorous leached can reach the largest in the presence of 1.0 g/L Fe^3+, 200 mg/L Mg^2+ and 400 mg/L NH_4^+. The optimal technological parameters on the fraction of phosphorous leached are as follows: the volume fraction of inocula of A. f., the mass ratio of pyrites to rock phosphate and the pH value are in ranges of 5%-25%, 3:1-5:1 and 1.8-2.2, respectively.

Selective separation of silica from a siliceous-calcareous phosphate rock

Selective separation of silica from a siliceous-calcareous phosphate ore that had been sieved into different size fractions is investigated by a combination of chemical analysis,zeta potential measurement and FTIR and XPS techniques.Scrubbing is a better choice than flotation for removing silica from the coarse fractions.The P_2O_5 grade of the coarse fractions is increased to about 30%by scrubbing and the product yields are higher than those obtained by flotation.The silica in the fine fraction is separated by reverse flotation.An alkyl amine salt(DAH)is an effective collector and the P_2O_5 grade of the fine fraction can be increased by 7%to beyond 30%under acidic conditions.The higher zeta potential obtained using DAH suggests that it is more strongly absorbed onto the ore particles than the other cationic collectors. FTIR and XPS results confirm physical absorption of the cationic collector onto the ore surface.They also indicate that calcite is dissolved at low pH values,which increases the Si concentration on the ore surface.

Application of Ground Phosphate Rock to Dimmish the Effects of Simulated Acid Rain on Soil Properties

The effects of simulated acid rain retained in soil on the properties of acid soil and its diminishing by application of ground phosphate rock were investigated by using the sorption method. Results show as follows: (1) For yellow brown soil, the effect of simulated acid rain on the properties of soil with a pH value of 5.9 was relatively small, except a great quantity of acid rain deposited on it. (2) For red soil, the effect of simulated acid rain on the properties of soil was significant. With the increase of the amount of acid deposition, the pH value of soil was declined, but the contents of exchangeable H+, Al3+ and Mn2+ and the amount of SO42- retention were increased. (3) Many properties of acid soils could be improved by applying ground phosphate rock. For example, pH value of soils and the amounts of available P and exchangeable Ca2+ and Mg2+ were increased, and the amounts of exchangeable H+ and Al3+ and SO42- retained was reduced. The application of ground posphate rock could effctively dimmish the pollution of acid rain to soil.

Feasibility of Rock Phosphate and Other Amendments in Preventing P Deficiency in Barley on a P-Deficient Soil in Northeastern Saskatchewan

In?the Canadian Prairies, many soils on organic farms are low in available P, and the only alternative is to use external sources to prevent P nutrient deficiency on these soils. A 3-year (2012 to 2014) field experiment was established in spring 2012 on a P-deficient soil near Kelvington, Saskatchewan, Canada, to determine the potential of organic amendments (alfalfa pellets, compost manure, thin stillage and distiller grain dry of wheat), inorganic amendments (rock phosphate granular, rock phosphate fine, wood ash and bone meal ash) and microbial inoculants/products (JumpStart®and MYKE®PRO), applied alone or in a combination with N and/or P commercial fertilizers, in preventing P deficiency and increasing seed yield, N and P uptake of barley. Compared to unfertilized control, N only treatment did not result in any significant increase in seed yield, while application of P alone increased seed yield significantly but to a lesser degree than when both N and P fertilizers were applied together in all 3 years. Rock phosphate did not result in any seed yield benefit, even when applied along with N fertilizer. Wood ash fine increased seed yield of barley significantly only in the presence of N fertilizer, with highest seed yield in the presence of both N + P fertilizers. Seed yield of barley increased moderately with alfalfa pellets, significantly with compost manure, and considerably with distiller grain dry of wheat, but highest seed yield was obtained from thin stillage, which was essentially similar to that obtained from the N + P fertilizer combination. There was no yield benefit from JumpStart or MykePro in any year and only slight benefit from bone meal ash in 2013. The addition of N fertilizer to MykePro or bone meal ash treatments increased seed yield, but highest yield was obtained when both N and P fertilizers were added, suggesting a lack of available P for optimum seed yield. With few exceptions, the response trends of total N and P uptake in seed + straw to the amendments studied were generally similar to those of seed yield. In conclusion, the organic amendment “thin stillage” provided balanced nutrition and produced yield and nutrient uptake of barley similar to balanced N + P fertilizer treatment, and it was closely followed by “distiller grain dry of wheat”, with moderate benefit from compost manure and some benefit from alfalfa pellets. In this extremely P-deficient soil, rock phosphate was not found effective in preventing P deficiency in barley, while wood ash and bone meal ash provided moderate increase in barley yield, with little yield benefit from JumpStart and MykePro, when other nutrients were not limiting in the soil.

Bioleaching of soluble phosphorus from rock phosphate containing pyrite with DES-induced Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans

The effects of Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans(At. f) mutated with diethyl sulfate(DES) as a mutagen on the bioleaching of soluble phosphorus(P) from rock phosphate(RP) were investigated. The results show that the oxidative activity of At. f is greatly improved by 1.0%(volume fraction) of DES. Correspondingly,the highest leaching rate of soluble P is also obtained to be 14.9% by the At. f mutated,which is 85.8% higher than that of the adapted At. f without mutation. In addition,the SEM images are significantly performed that the corrosion of RP residue surfaces leached by 1.0% DES-induced At.f is much worse than that of leached by the adapted At. f. All the above indicate that the leaching efficiency of soluble P from RP with pyrite can be greatly improved by using DES-induced At. f to a certain extent.

A Novel Approach to Bioleach Soluble Phosphorus from Rock Phosphate

A novel approach to bioleach soluble phosphorus from rock phosphate,involving the bio-oxidation of pyrite by adaptated Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans(At.f)and the product of sulfuric acid to dissolve rock phosphate,has been proposed in this paper.The soluble phosphorus could be leached more effectively in the presence of pyrite by At.f than that leached directly by sulfuric acid.The optimal technological parameters are presented.The highest phosphorus leaching rate is 9.00% when the culture substrate is the mixture of FeSO_47H_2O and pyrite,the phosphorus leaching rate is 8.00% when the initial pH and culture time are 2.5 and 5 d,respectively.The optimal rock phosphate particle size is 0.05 mm for the leaching of phosphorus.The bigger the grains of pyrite,the lower the phosphorus leaching rate.The bacterium At.f should be appropriately adaptated,which makes it easier to bioleach soluble phosphorus from rock phosphate.

Effect of Lanthanum on Solubilization of Rock Phosphate in Liquid Culture by Aspergillus Niger and Penicillium Oxalicum

Rock phosphate (RP) is a low efficient P fertilizer when directly used in the soil. Phosphate-solubilizing microorganisms (PSMs) can solubilize RP in fermentation or soil condition. The effect of different concentration of lanthanum (La) on the solubilization of RP was investigated by two isolates of phosphate-solubilizing fungi (PSF) Aspergillus niger P39 and Penicillium oxalicum P66 in liquid culture. Experimental results show that relatively higher concentration of La in the culture solution inhibites fungal growth and delays RP solubilizing activity of two isolates. This inhibitory effect of La on RP solubilization varies with PSF (isolate P66 is more sensitive to La than P39 in this experiment). Comparing the pH value of culture media with soluble P content as affected by La application, only within individual isolate not different isolates the negatively significant relationship was observed.

Effect of Composted Rock Phosphate with Organic Materials on Yield and Phosphorus Uptake of Berseem and Maize

Field experiments were conducted to determine the effect of composts prepared from different organic materials with rock phosphate (RP) on yield and P uptake of berseem and their residual effect on maize crop (cv. Azam) during 2011-2012. Composts prepared from RP fed farm yard manure (FYM), simple FYM, organic waste and city garbage were applied at the rate based on their P concentrations. Composts significantly (P ≤ 0.05) increased total dry matter weight of Berseem in first and second cut over control. Residual effect of the prepared composts was determined on yield and plant P uptake of maize in the same layout of Berseem. Maximum and significantly (P ≤ 0.05) higher maize grain yield, total dry matter yield and stover yield of 3161 kg·ha-1, 9633 kg·ha-1 and 6472 kg·ha-1, respectively were recorded by the residual effect of compost of organic waste with half dose of SSP. Thousand grains weight of 220 g was noted in the treatment of residual effect of compost of RP fed FYM with half dose of SSP. Post harvest soil N and P concentrations improved with composting. Significant (P ≤ 0.05) increases in N and P uptake by berseem and maize plants were observed with added composts. Results suggest that the use of composts prepared from different organic materials with RP is environmental friendly and has potential to improve crops yield and plants N and P uptakes for a prolonged time.

Phosphorus Solubility from Rock Phosphate Mixed Compost with Sulphur Application and Its Effect on Yield and Phosphorus Uptake of Wheat Crop

A field experiment was conducted to determine the effect of sulphur application with Rock phosphate mixed compost on phosphorus (P) solubility and its effect on yield and P uptake of wheat crop. The experiment was laid out in randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications at the research farm of The University of Agriculture Peshawar. The experiment was conducted during rabi 2015-16 with plot size of 3 m × 5 m. Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium were applied at the rate of 120, 90 and 60 kg&#183ha-1 in the form of urea, compost, or single super phosphate and potassium sulphate, respectively. Elemental sulphur was applied at the rate of 10, 20 and 30 kg&#183ha-1 at the time of sowing. Results showed that sulphur applied with compost significantly improved wheat yield and yield components, soil organic matter, soil total N and AB-DTPA extractable P contents, plant N and P concentrations and their uptake, plant micronutrients concentration and their uptakes. No significant changes were noted in soil pH, ECe and lime contents. Maximum grain yield of 4076 kg&#183ha-1, total dry matter yield 9721 kg&#183ha-1, straw yield 5644 kg&#183ha-1, plant height 98.3 cm, spike length 11.2 cm, grain per spike 61.0, thousand grain weight 50.2 g were recorded on the application of S at the rate 20 kg&#183ha-1 with compost. The highest soil organic matter content of 1.41% was found for the application of S at the rate of 10 kg&#183ha-1 with compost. Maximum soil total N content of 1756 mg&#183kg-1 and P 5.7 mg&#183kg-1 were observed by the application of double recommended S with compost. Plant N uptakes of 125.7 kg&#183ha-1, and P uptake of 17.5 kg&#183ha-1, were maximum with application of compost and S @ 20 kg&#183ha-1. Highest plant uptake of Fe 0.56 kg&#183ha-1, Zn 0.41 kg&#183ha-1, Cu 0.16 kg&#183ha-1 and Mn 0.93 kg&#183ha-1 were found by the application of full recommended S with compost. Results suggested that S at the rate of 20 kg&#183ha-1 application with compost prepared from farm yard manure and rock phosphate proved better combination to enhance wheat yield, yield components and nutrients uptakes of wheat crop.

Nutritional Quality of Tomato (<i>Lycopersicon lycopersicum</i>L.) Varieties as Influenced by Combined Application of Human Urine and Rock Phosphate

There has been increasing interest in the quality of food produced in the sub-Saharan Africa and organic fertilizers can be used as palliative for eradicating malnutrition and improving the livelihood of the populace. A study was conducted in two phases, 4 × 5 × 2 and 2 × 4 factorial experiments in a completely randomized design with three replicates at the Department of Agronomy screenhouse, University of Ibadan, Nigeria. In the first experiment, five N levels (0, 20, 40, 60 and 80 kgN/ha) were combined with two P levels (0 and 20 kgP/ha) using urea and single superphosphate, respectively and four varieties (Roma VF, UC82B, Rio grande and Roma savana) of tomatoes were used. In the second experiment, optimum rates (60 kgN and 20 kgP/ha) from the first experiment formed the basis for the application of urea + SSP, urine + ORP, urea + SSP + urine + ORP and control. The best-performing varieties (Rio grande and Roma savana) in the first experiment were used. Data were subjected to analysis of variance. Combined application of N and P had higher N use efficiency and nutrient uptake than sole application of N or P. Urine + ORP based fertilizer mixtures were best for nutrient uptake and crop utilization of N and P. Increasing N levels led to decrease in nutrient use efficiency. Application of urine + ORP and urea + SSP gave better fruit qualities. The descending order of varietal superiority with respect to nutrient uptake, utilization and quality was: Rio grande > Roma savana > Roma VF > UC82B. Thus, urine + ORP based fertilizer mixtures have great potentials as substitutes for urea + SSP in the production of tomatoes.

Jebel Kurun Phosphate Rock Characteristics and Technical Viability to Produce Phosphoric Acid

The technical viability for utilizing Jebel Kurun phosphate reserve in Sudan for the production of a fertilizer grade phosphoric acid is assessed. Statistical analysis has been carried for 56 samples. Phosphate rock has been classified into three main types and then the number of samples representing each type has been identified. Average values for phosphorus pentoxide is 19% and for uranium is 81.47 ppm. The most abundant elements are silicon, aluminum, phosphorus, calcium and iron. Aluminophosphate ore (CaO% ≤ 12%, Al2O3% ≥ 20%, P2O5% ≥ 18%) is represented by 55.36% of sampled phosphate rock. This type can be used to produce phosphoric acid when P2O5 > 30%. Apatite rock including aluminophosphate CaO% ≥ 25%, Al2O3% ≤ 10%, P2O5% ≥ 20%, 12% ≤ SiO2 ≤ 35% is represented by 1.79% of sampled phosphate rock, this type can be used to produce phosphoric acid when it can meet the requirements of (CaO% ≥ 30%, Al2O3% ≤ 7%, P2O5% ≥ 25%, SiO2% ≤ 30%). Silica ore including phosphorus (SiO2% ≥ 40%, P2O5% ≤ 10%) is represented by 16.07% of sampled phosphate rock and Iron ore including phosphorus (Fe2O3% ≥ 20%, P2O5% ≤ 10%) is represented by 5.36% of samples. Both types cannot be used to produce phosphoric acid. The statistical distribution of P2O5 in the size fractions for a core drilled samples is required.