Phosphorus availability in tropical soils may be regulated by the decomposition and mineralization of the labile organic phosphorus fraction (Po); therefore, studies assessing the actual contribution of Po to soil composition are necessary. The objective of this study was to evaluate the total and labile Po content in diagnostic surface horizons of different soil types and to assess which soil properties control the accumulation of these P fractions. Samples of different diagnostic surface horizons were studied, namely histic H and O, chernozemic A, and humic A, collected from several Brazilian states. The total fractions of inorganic P (Pi) and organic P (Po) were determined using the sequential acid-base extraction method, and the labile P fraction was determined by extraction with sodium bicarbonate. The recovery rate of Pi + Po relative to nitric-perchloric extraction of total P (TP) ranged from 46 to 99 %. Total Po ranged from 35 to 1077 mg kg-1 (mean of 298 mg kg-1). The labile Po fraction values ranged from 7.2 to 99.5 mg kg-1 (mean of 27.1 mg kg-1). Po represented, on average, 36 to 46 % of the total P extracted and over 70 % of the labile P in all diagnostic horizons. TP was the main property driving Po accumulation in soils according to correlation and multiple regression analyses. Horizons with low P adsorption capacity were observed as leading to high Po lability.
histic; chernozemic A; humic A; phosphorus availability; labile phosphorus
