Aiming to evaluate the phosphorus availability in five Amazonian soil samples, amended with different phosphates, a pot trial was carried out under greenhouse conditions at the Centro de Energia Nuclear na Agricultura, Piracicaba (SP,Brazil), from october, 1993 to march, 1994, using the soils: medium texture Yellow Latosol, clayey Yellow Latosol, very clayey Yellow Latosol, clayey Red-Yellow Podzolic and very clayey Red-Yellow Podzolic. Four phosphate sources were applied (triple superphosphate, fine yoorin thermophosphate, granular yoorin thermophosphate and North Caroline rock phosphate) in the rates of P equivalent at 0, 40, 80 and 120 mg kg-1 soil. The dry matter yield and the amount of P taken up by cowpea and rice were correlated with the extractable P by anionic exchangeable resin, Mehlich-1, Mehlich-3 and Bray-I. The results showed that the extractable P by Mehlich-1 was higher in the soils amended with North Caroline rock phosphate. Irrespective to the phosphorus sources used, the Mehlich-3 extractant showed close correlation with plant response. The Mehlich-3 and Bray-I extractants were more sensitive to soil variations. The Mehlich-3 extractant was more suitable in predicting the P availability to plants in the different soils and phosphorus sources.
phosphorus extractants; phosphates; Mehlich-3; Mehlich-1; Bray-I; resina; Amazônia