Irrational phosphorus (P) nutrient management practices often fail to match of P fertilizer type, soil P transformation and crop P demand, lead to increased accumulation of legacy P, reduced PUE, and pollution, affecting crop production. A pot experiment incorporating soil types and P fertilizer types (SSP, simple superphosphate; CMP, calcium magnesium phosphate; DAP, diammonium phosphate; TSP, triple superphosphate; APP, ammonium polyphosphate; CK, no P application) to establish coupling of the soil and P fertilizer types, soil P pool characteristics, crop P uptake. In calcareous soil, the available P concentrations in rhizosphere soil were higher under TSP and DAP, with the increase in NaHCO₃-Pi concentration the most. In non-calcareous soil, the NaHCO₃-Pi and NaOH-Pi increased the most under SSP, DAP, and TSP at anthesis. Shoot P accumulation at maturity was highest under TSP and APP, TSP and DAP, respectively, in the two soil. TSP and APP significantly increased yield and PUE in the calcareous soil, while TSP and DAP performed better in the non-calcareous soil. NaHCO₃-Pi and NaOH-Po are potentially available P sources in calcareous and non-calcareous soil, which remarkably affect shoot P uptake through H₂O-P. Comprehensive assessment of the relationship between soil P pool characteristics, yield and PUE, TSP and APP are recommended for application in calcareous soils and TSP and DAP for application in non-calcareous soils in wheat cropping systems.

Inefficient phosphorus (P) fertilizer application often accumulates soil P, wasting valuable phosphate resources and contributing to environmental pollution. Given the suboptimal P fertilizer use efficiency (PUE), understanding soil P dynamics and selecting appropriate fertilizers is crucial. Fluvo-aquic soil and yellow-cinnamon soils were used in a rice pot trial to compare five P fertilizer types: single superphosphate (SSP), diammonium phosphate (DAP), calcium magnesium phosphate (CMP), triple superphosphate (TSP), and ammonium polyphosphate (APP), alongside a no P, control (CK). In fluvo-aquic soil, TSP and APP significantly increased rhizosphere P availability at anthesis, while SSP increased yield and shoot P accumulation at maturity. In yellow-cinnamon soil, DAP had the highest rhizosphere P availability at anthesis, while APP significantly increased shoot P accumulation at anthesis and shoot P accumulation and grain yield at maturity. Moreover, PUE was highest with SSP and CMP in fluvo-aquic soil and APP and TSP in yellow-cinnamon soil. Throughout the experiment, increased soil alkaline phosphatase activity promoted NaOH-Po conversion to NaHCO₃-Pi, increasing rice shoot P uptake, yield, and PUE in both soils. Based on the above findings, it is recommended to apply SSP and TSP to fluvo-aquic soil and APP and TSP to yellow-cinnamon soil to achieve higher yield and PUE, which can be further confirmed by subsequent field-scale studies.