These properties all together influence nutrient uptake, P use efficiency, and overall site
potential suitability for maize production. Among the investigated inorganic P pools, only NaHCO3-Pi
correlated significantly with DMY, confirming the higher bioavailability of this P pool as reported by
Blake et al. (2003). The release of plant nutrients, namely K, from the decomposing soil organic matter
is largely dependant on its quality as illustrated by the C/N ratio and the soil reaction. The significant
negative correlation with DMY indicates that higher soil acidity has detrimental effect on organic matter
decomposition and therefore nutrient availability.