Quenching of phosphorus fixation with organic wastes in a bauxite mine overburden

Capabilities of two phosphate-rich organic wastes to quench phosphorus (P) fixation in a stored high-phosphorus-fixing tropical bauxite overburden were examined in a field experiment. Prior grinding and ensiling of shrimp shell waste facilitated increased solubility and hence phosphorus fixation quenching in the soil. Normal plant-available P concentrations were exhibited by the overburden for up to 4 months after application despite the cultivation and harvesting of plants in the treated beds. Ten-year-old, stored overburden treated with ensiled shrimp shell silage, or chicken manure exhibited P levels of 1.0 and 1.1%, respectively, 4 months after treatment application. This represents a small excess over normal concentrations of free P in the overburdens. These P levels dropped to 0.055 and 0.060%, respectively, after 8 months. The capacity of the soil to fix phosphorus was thus rapidly “filled” with an excess of P in the overburden. However, increased P fixation in the second 4-month period was attributed to the inherently high levels of Ca²⁺ in the ground. Therefore, amelioration based on quarterly applications promises a long-term corrective for P-fixing in stored bauxite overburdens.