Flooding boosts phosphorus retention in soils, impacting agricultural productivity and water quality.
Flooding affects how soils in Jiangxi province absorb and release phosphorus. Upland red soil adsorbs less phosphorus when flooded, while paddy soil absorbs more. Paddy soil also releases more phosphorus when flooded. The amount of extractable phosphorus increases after flooding, mainly due to phosphorus being released and then reabsorbed by iron oxide. Flooding for different lengths of time affects the phosphorus sorption and desorption properties of the soils differently.