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.

• Cycling of reduced phosphorus compounds in soil and potential impacts of climate change
  Kehler, Anchen; Haygarth, Philip; Tamburini, Federica; Blackwell, Martin
  European Journal Of Soil Science 10.1111/ejss.13121  Early Access: MAY 2021
• Tracing uptake and translocation of phosphorus in wheat using oxygen isotopes and mathematical modelling
  Bauke, Sara L.; Schnepf, Andrea; von Sperber, Christian; Orlowski, Natalie; Lewandowski, Hans; et al.
  New Phytologist 10.1111/nph.17307 Published: JUN 2021
• A review of phosphate oxygen isotope values in global bedrocks: characterising a critical endmember to the soil phosphorus system
  Smith, Andrew C.; Pfahler, Verena; Tamburini, Federica; Blackwell, Martin S. A.; Granger, Steven J.
  Journal Of Plant Nutrition And Soil Science, 10.1002/jpln.202000513 FEB 2021
• Microspectroscopy reveals dust-derived apatite grains in acidic, highly-weathered Hawaiian soils
  Vogel, Christian; Helfenstein, Julian; Massey, Michael S.; Sekine, Ryo; Kretzschmar, Ruben; et al.
  Geoderma  DOI: 10.1016/j.geoderma.2020.114681  JAN 1 2021
• Biogeochemical cycling of phosphorus in subsoils of temperate forest ecosystems
  Rodionov, Andrei; Bauke, Sara L.; von Sperber, Christian; Hoeschen, Carmen; Kandeler, Ellen; et al.
  Biogeochemistry   DOI: 10.1007/s10533-020-00700-8      OCT 2020
• In or Out of Equilibrium? How Microbial Activity Controls the Oxygen Isotopic Composition of Phosphate in Forest Organic Horizons With Low and High Phosphorus Availability
  Pistocchi, Chiara; Meszaros, Eva; Frossard, Emmanuel; Buenemann, E. K.; Tamburini, Federica
  Frontiers In Environmental Science  DOI: 10.3389/fenvs.2020.564778  SEP 29 2020
• A dual isotopic (P-32 and O-18) incubation study to disentangle mechanisms controlling phosphorus cycling in soils from a climatic gradient (Kohala, Hawaii)
  Siegenthaler, Maja Barbara; Tamburini, Federica; Frossard, Emmanuel; Chadwick, Oliver; Vitousek, Peter; et al.
  Soil Biology & Biochemistry  DOI: 10.1016/j.soilbio.2020.107920  OCT 2020
• Changes of oxygen isotope values of soil P pools associated with changes in soil pH
  Pfahler, Verena; Macdonald, Andy; Mead, Andrew; Smith, Andrew C.; Tamburini, Federica; et al.
  Scientific Reports  DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-59103-2   FEB 7 2020
• Selenium accumulation and speciation in soils along a climate gradient
  Tolu, J.; Bouchet, S.; Chekifi, S. D.; Hausheer, O.; Chadwick, O. A.; et al.
  Selenium Research For Environment And Human Health: Perspectives, Technologies And Advancements, 67-68, 2020
• Estimates of mean residence times of phosphorus in commonly considered inorganic soil phosphorus pools
  Helfenstein, Julian; Pistocchi, Chiara; Oberson, Astrid; Tamburini, Federica; Goll, Daniel S.; et al.
  Biogeosciences,  DOI: 10.5194/bg-17-441-2020, JAN 30 2020
• 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
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• 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