Department of Soil Science, Dr Y.S. Parmar University of Horticulture & Forestry Nauni, Solan, H.P., 173230.
Adsorption of phosphate added to ten surface soils representing important soil groups of the north-west Himalayas was studied. The adsorption data were fitted to the Langmuir isotherm which have the adsorption maxima ranging from 126 to 587 mg kg−1 of soil. However, the supply parameter increased from 1.0 to 388 when phosphate was added. While adsorption maxima was observed to be positively correlated with clay, CBD-CBD-Fe2O3, and Al2O3, it showed negative correlation with pH. CaCO3 and Olsen's P content of the soils. In general, adsorption maxima and bonding energy showed a positive correlation (r = 0.495) in soils of this mountainous transect.
Adsorption equilibria, isotherms, bonding energy, supply parameter, mountainous transect
