This field study carried out across the primary sugarcane producing
region in Brazil indicated that long-termconversions fromNV (Cerrado
and Atlantic forest biome) to extensive PA induced significant depletions
of soil total P stocks. These results showed a critical process of
soil chemical degradation, which helps to explain the low productivity
in most of Brazilian pasturelands. Our findings suggest that under
degraded PA, the biological P pool plays crucial role for supplying available
P to plants.