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2025 Vol.37, Issue 4 Preview Page

Research Article

Phosphogypsum as a Soil Amendment for Aluminum Detoxification and Sulfur Supply in Volcanic Ash Soils of Jeju Island: An Incubation Experiment
Hosung Lee1†
,
Young-Hun Hyun2†
,
Won-Pyo Park34*
1Graduate Student, Plant Resources and Environment Major, College of Applied Life Science, Jeju National University, Jeju 63243, Korea
2Researcher, Soiltek Co. Ltd., Jeju 63309, Korea
3Associate Professor, Plant Resources and Environment Major, College of Applied Life Science, SARI, Jeju National University, Jeju 63243, Korea
4Associate Professor, The Research Institute for Subtropical Agriculture and Biotechnology, Jeju National University, Jeju 63243, Korea
*Corresponding Author
†These authors contributed equally to this work.
31 December 2025. pp. 425-435
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Abstract

In this study, we investigated the potential of phosphogypsum as a soil amendment for aluminum detoxification and sulfur supply in Jeju volcanic ash soils compared to shell meal and dolomitic limestone. Soil samples were collected from four black volcanic ash Andisols (Wimi, Topyeong, Hangyeong, and Hangwon series) and two non-Andisols: a very dark brown soil (Jeju series) and a dark brown soil (Gangjeong series). An incubation experiment was conducted for 30 days at 25°C under controlled conditions after applying amendments to each soil at a rate equivalent to 200 kg per hectare, adjusted for the alkalinity of each amendment. All soil amendments ledcrease in soil pH and total content of exchangeable cations compared with the untreated control, and shell meal and dolomitic limestone produced a relatively greater increase in pH (H2O), reflecting their liming properties. In contrast, phosphogypsum treatment resulted in the highest exchangeable calcium (Ca) and sulfur (S) contents, accompanied by a marked decrease in the exchangeable aluminum (Al) content and Al saturation in most soils. In Andisols with high Al and Fe contents, phosphogypsum application increased adsorbed S, indicating enhanced S retention and a greater potential for long-term S supply. In the non-Andisol Gangjeong, sulfur derived from phosphogypsum was retained mainly in exchangeable forms, suggesting that phosphogypsum can function as a readily plant-available sulfur source in this soil. Overall, these results indicate that although the liming effect of phosphogypsum on soil pH is weaker than that of shell meal and dolomitic limestone, phosphogypsum can be effectively used as a soil amendment in Jeju soils by alleviating Al toxicity in Andisols and improving soil chemical properties and plant-available S supply across contrasting soil types.

Keywords
Andisols
Exchangeable aluminum
Exchangeable sulfur
non-Andisols
Soil amendment
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Information
  • Publisher :Agriculture and Life Sciences Research Institute, Kangwon National University
  • Publisher(Ko) :None
  • Journal Title :Journal of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences
  • Volume : 37
  • No :4
  • Pages :425-435
  • Received Date : 2025-11-26
  • Revised Date : 2025-12-02
  • Accepted Date : 2025-12-02
  • DOI :https://doi.org/10.22698/jales.20250035
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