ISSN 2320-5407 International Journal of Advanced Research (2015), Volume 3, Issue 12, 1244 – 1259 1244 Journal homepage: http://www.journalijar.com INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ADVANCED RESEARCH RESEARCH ARTICLE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN P SORPTION AND SOIL PROPERTIES IN SOILS DERIVED FROM BASEMENT COMPLEX AND SEDIMENTARY PARENT MATERIALS * Dada, Adebukola O 1 , Omueti, John A 2 , Thomas, Eunice Y 3 1. (Mrs); Department of Agronomy, University of Ibadan, Nigeria. 2. Prof; Soil Mineraology / Soil Chemistry, Department of Agronomy, University of Ibadan, Nigeria. 3. PhD; Soil Chemistry, Department of Agronomy, University of Ibadan, Nigeria. Manuscript Info Abstract Manuscript History: Received: 14 October 2015 Final Accepted: 26 November 2015 Published Online: December 2015 Key words: Phosphorus sorption, phosphorus fractions, Fe and Al Sesquioxides, pH, parent materials *Corresponding Author Dada, Adebukola O. This study was conducted to determine the different forms of Phosphorus and the impact of soil properties on the Phosphorus fixing capacity of soils overlying the basement complex and sedimentary parent materials of Oyo and Ogun States in Nigeria respectively. The experiment was an incubation study which lasted a period of five weeks. Five representative top soil (0 – 15 cm) samples and five sub-surface soil (15 – 30 cm) samples were collected from five different locations in each of Oyo and Ogun States. This study was a factorial combination of the 20 soil samples, three rates of single superphosphate (SSP) fertilizer. (0, 30 and 60) kg/ha with three replications laid out in completely randomized design (CRD). All the soils studied experienced desorption. In the soils derived from sedimentary parent materials, the Fe and Al sesquioxides both accounted for over 50% of the soil P fractions. Also for soils derived from basement complex, the Fe and Al sesquioxides both accounted for over 70% of the soil P fractions. Correlation analysis revealed that soil pH was the major soil property influencing sorption of P (r = -0.49, P < 1%) followed by the soil age Fe o / Fe d (r = 0.40, P < 5%) for soils derived from basement complex. For soils derived from sedimentary parent materials, correlation analysis revealed that Ammonium Oxalate extractable Al o (r = 0.54, P < 1%) dithionite-citrate-bicarbonate (DCB) extractable Al d (r = 0.49, P < 1%) and crystalline Al (r = 0.39, P < 5%) are dominant factors influencing P sorption. Copy Right, IJAR, 2015,.All rights reserved INTRODUCTION Phosphorus is one of the major essential elements required by plants for normal growth. Phosphorus plays important roles in nearly all phases of the plant life, including photosynthesis, flowering and seed production, maturation, and root growth. Its deficiency can cause severe stunting and significant yield losses (Haven et al., 1999; Zahedifar, 2011). It is an essential nutrient element for the production of ATP, DNA, RNA, and other cellular constituents of plants. Soil P is often a limiting nutrient for plant growth. The P concentration in soil solution is typically very low, because soluble forms of P are fixed by soil solid phase, making less than 0.01% of total soil P available to plants (Mengel and Kirkby, 2001; Gallaher, 2007). It is therefore one of the least mobile plant nutrients in soil. Many soil properties have been identified to affect the availability of P for plant uptake and also P extracted from soil by chemical extractants. Among these properties are extractable Fe, Al and Mn oxides, clay content of the soil, CaCO 3 , organic matter, soil pH and P-sorption capacity of the soil (Abdu, 2006).In tropical soils, the most expedient