Plant Nutrition

Phosphorus (P) is a major nutrient and an important constituent in cell membranes, DNA and RNA, and energy transporters. In most natural environments, inorganic orthophosphate is often limiting, P cycling and turnover are rapid, and organic compounds represents the main phosphate source to organisms.

We use a relatively new stable isotopic tracer, oxygen isotopes bound to phosphorus in phosphate to better understand the aspects of the P biogeochemical cycle which are still unclear, since many biological processes cannot be easily identified and quantified in natural settings. The O-P bond is highly stable at ambient temperature and in most environments on Earth, and only biological processes promote a significant change in the isotope signature of the phosphate.

In soil sciences, the use of δ¹⁸O-P is still in its infancy and relatively little has been published. We are working in optimizing existing preparation techniques for soil studies, combining sequential extraction of P to isotopic analysis. Our projects aim at characterizing and understand the processes influencing the isotopic signature in the soil and plants. We also work on the isotopic characterization of P sources in agricultural systems (plant residues, organic manure, mineral fertilizers) aiming at tracing them and assess their behavior in the environment.

• Biological processes dominate phosphorus dynamics under low phosphorus availability in organic horizons of temperate forest soils
  Pistocchi, C; Meszaros, E; Tamburini, F; Frossard, E; Bunemann, EK
  SOIL BIOLOGY & BIOCHEMISTRY, 126 64-75; 10.1016/j.soilbio.2018.08.013 NOV 2018
• A method to analyse the isotopic composition of oxygen associated with organic phosphorus in soil and plant material
  Tamburini, F; Pistocchi, C; Helfenstein, J; Frossard, E
  EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOIL SCIENCE, 69 (5):816-826; 10.1111/ejss.12693 SEP 2018
• Combining spectroscopic and isotopic techniques gives a dynamic view of phosphorus cycling in soil
  Helfenstein, J; Tamburini, F; von Sperber, C; Massey, MS; Pistocchi, C; Chadwick, OA; Vitousek, PM; Kretzschmar, R; Frossard, E
  NATURE COMMUNICATIONS, 9 10.1038/s41467-018-05731-2 AUG 13 2018
• Organic phosphorus in the terrestrial environment: a perspective on the state of the art and future priorities (vol 427, pg 191, 2018)
  George, TS; Giles, CD; Menezes-Blackburn, D; Condron, LM; et al.
  PLANT AND SOIL, 427 (1-2):209-211; SI 10.1007/s11104-017-3488-2 JUN 2018
• Organic phosphorus in the terrestrial environment: a perspective on the state of the art and future priorities
  George, TS; Giles, CD; Menezes-Blackburn, D; Condron, LM; Gama-Rodrigues, AC; Jaisi, D; Lang, F; Neal, AL; Stutter, MI; Almeida,
  DS; Bol, R; Cabugao, KG; Celi, L; Cotner, JB; Feng, G; Goll, DS; Hallama, M; Krueger, J; Plassard, C; Rosling, A; Darch, T; Fraser, T;
  Giesler, R; Richardson, AE; Tamburini, F; Shand, CA; Lumsdon, DG; Zhang, H; Blackwell, MSA; Wearing, C; Mezeli, MM; Almas, AR; Audette, Y; Bertrand, I; Beyhaut, E; Boitt, G; Bradshaw, N; Brearley, CA; Bruulsema, TW; Ciais, P; Cozzolino, V; Duran, PC; Mora, ML; de Menezes, AB; Dodd, RJ; Dunfield, K; Engl, C; Frazao, JJ; Garland, G; Jimenez, JLG; Graca, J; Granger, SJ; Harrison, AF; Heuck, C; Hou, EQ; Johnes, PJ; Kaiser, K; Kjaer, HA; Klumpp, E; Lamb, AL; Macintosh, KA; Mackay, EB; McGrath, J; McIntyre, C; McLaren, T; Meszaros, E; Missong, A; Mooshammer, M; Negron, CP; Nelson, LA; Pfahler, V; Poblete-Grant, P; Randall, M; Seguel, A; Seth, K; Smith, AC; Smits, MM; Sobarzo, JA; Spohn, M; Tawaraya, K; Tibbett, M; Voroney, P; Wallander, H; Wang, L; Wasaki, J; Haygarth, PM
  PLANT AND SOIL, 427 (1-2):191-208; SI 10.1007/s11104-017-3391-x JUN 2018
• Short-term impacts of forest clear-cut on P accessibility in soil microaggregates: An oxygen isotope study 
  Siebers, Nina; Bauke, Sara L.; Tamburini, Federica; et al. 
  GEODERMA, 315: 59-64   10.1016/j.geoderma.2017.11.024 APR 1 2018
• Subsoil phosphorus is affected by fertilization regime in long-term agricultural experimental trials 
  Bauke, S. L.; von Sperber, C.; Tamburini, F.; et al. 
  EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOIL SCIENCE, 69 (1): 103-112 JAN 2018 Article (Details)
• A dual isotopic approach using radioactive phosphorus and the isotopic composition of oxygen associated to phosphorus to understand plant reaction to a change in P nutrition 
  Pfahler, Verena; Tamburini, Federica; Bernasconi, Stefano M.; et al. 
  PLANT METHODS, 13: 10.1186/s13007-017-0227-x SEP 25 2017 Article (Details)
• Biopore effects on phosphorus biogeochemistry in subsoils 
  Bauke, S. L.; von Sperber, C.; Siebers, N.; et al. 
  SOIL BIOLOGY & BIOCHEMISTRY, 111: 157-165 AUG 2017 Article (Details)

• Phosphorus cycle in the environment
• Isotopic tools (oxygen stable isotope in phosphate) in the soil/plant/water ecosystem
• Soil formation
• Sources and sinks of phosphorus in agricultural systems

• Plant physiology
• Enzymatic processes in soils