Articles | Volume 11, issue 2
https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-11-975-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Circular economy approach in phosphorus fertilization based on vivianite must be tailored to soil properties
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- Final revised paper (published on 28 Nov 2025)
- Supplement to the final revised paper
- Preprint (discussion started on 03 Jun 2025)
- Supplement to the preprint
Interactive discussion
Status: closed
Comment types: AC – author | RC – referee | CC – community | EC – editor | CEC – chief editor
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RC1: 'Comment on egusphere-2025-1460', Anonymous Referee #1, 01 Jul 2025
- AC1: 'Reply on RC1', Tolulope Ayeyemi, 12 Jul 2025
- CC1: 'Comment on egusphere-2025-1460', Vito Armando Laudicina, 05 Aug 2025
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RC2: 'Comment on egusphere-2025-1460', Anonymous Referee #2, 18 Aug 2025
- AC2: 'Reply on RC2', Tolulope Ayeyemi, 25 Aug 2025
- EC1: 'Comment on egusphere-2025-1460', Ping He, 12 Sep 2025
Peer review completion
AR – Author's response | RR – Referee report | ED – Editor decision | EF – Editorial file upload
ED: Publish subject to revisions (further review by editor and referees) (15 Sep 2025) by Ping He
AR by Tolulope Ayeyemi on behalf of the Authors (10 Oct 2025)
Author's response
Manuscript
EF by Katja Gänger (14 Oct 2025)
Author's tracked changes
ED: Referee Nomination & Report Request started (22 Oct 2025) by Ping He
RR by Anonymous Referee #2 (26 Oct 2025)
RR by Anonymous Referee #1 (03 Nov 2025)
ED: Publish as is (03 Nov 2025) by Ping He
ED: Publish as is (04 Nov 2025) by Engracia Madejón Rodríguez (Executive editor)
AR by Tolulope Ayeyemi on behalf of the Authors (10 Nov 2025)
Author's response
Manuscript
Post-review adjustments
AA – Author's adjustment | EA – Editor approval
AA by Tolulope Ayeyemi on behalf of the Authors (26 Nov 2025)
Author's adjustment
Manuscript
EA: Adjustments approved (27 Nov 2025) by Ping He
The manuscript presents a pot experiment evaluating the efficacy of vivianite mostly obtained from wastewater treatment plants as a phosphorus (P) fertilizer. The study compares vivianite to a conventional soluble P fertilizer (superphosphate) at two application rates across twelve different soils with a wide range of properties. The authors use wheat as a test crop and measure dry matter (DM) yield, P uptake, and post-harvest soil P (Olsen P) and Fe (DTPA Fe) levels. The central finding is that vivianite's effectiveness is highly dependent on soil properties, performing best in acidic soils that are also deficient in plant-available P. The study introduces and uses the P fertilizer replacement value (PFRV) to quantify vivianite's equivalence to superphosphate. A key conclusion is that vivianite is more effective in acidic soils having P below threshold value. Overall, manuscript is well structured and written. My biggest comments are for introduction and discussion sections.
The Introduction provides a thorough explanation of soil properties relevant to phosphorus dynamics; however, it offers limited background on vivianite. It would strengthen the manuscript to include more context on the origins of vivianite, specifically, whether wastewater treatment plants are the only viable source. Discussing the major sources of vivianite and highlighting the significance of wastewater streams as a sustainable and potentially abundant supply would provide valuable context. Furthermore, a brief discussion on the economic feasibility of recovering vivianite and its potential advantages over other recycled P sources would be useful. Including its chemical composition, especially the phosphorus content by percentage, would also help readers understand its agronomic value.
The Discussion section is comprehensive, and the authors provide a detailed interpretation of how soil properties, particularly pH and Olsen P status, influence the effectiveness of vivianite as a phosphorus fertilizer. However, the section at times reads like an extended summary of the Introduction and Results sections rather than a focused synthesis of key findings. Several parts reiterate previously stated information, which affects the clarity and conciseness of the discussion. Condensing the text to avoid repetition and emphasizing how the study’s findings advance current knowledge would significantly improve the section. Reorganizing the content into thematically coherent and concise paragraphs would enhance readability and help readers more easily grasp the significance of the findings.
Although the abstract states that the study aims to provide "practical recommendations for vivianite's effective use," these recommendations are not clearly presented in the manuscript. The insights about soil pH, Olsen P status, and P fertilizer replacement value are valuable, but they are scattered throughout the results and discussion. To better fulfill the stated objective, the authors should consider summarizing these findings into a concise, standalone section—either as a paragraph in the discussion or a separate recommendations section—outlining when, where, and how vivianite should be applied, possibly with threshold guidelines or a decision matrix. This would greatly enhance the practical relevance and clarity of the manuscript.