The data for phosphate retention of the eighteen surface soil samples in a wide range of phosphate concentration (up to 100 μm P/g soil) were all found to be in close agreemeat with Langmuir, Freundlich and Temkin equations. Their correlation coefficients (r) were mostly over 0.97. Among these equations the Langmuir adsorption isotherm seemed to be the best fitting model. The great differences of their phosphate retention capacity were evidenced by the variations both in their adsorption maxima (M) and their bonding energy parameters (R).Thus, M varied from around 300 μg P/g Foil (Psa.mmaquent, 504 and Loessial soil 498) to 1500 μg P/g (Lateritic soil, 497). For the soil of volcanic ash orgin, it even ran up as high as 5000 μg P/g. In terms of percentage of phosphate added(100 μm P/g soil),the adsorption rates by these soils correspond to about 10%, 47% and 95% of the added phosphate respectively. Among various physical and chemical properties of the soils studied, the contents of clay, as well as the amorphous and crystalline free iron and aluminum oxides were found to be all correlated with the phosphate retention capacity. In spite of the diversity of the soil samples, the specific surface area of the soil was found to be the most relevant single attribute which shows the best correlation with the phosphate retention capacity. Cultivation practices, fertilizer applications and use of organic refuses exerted some influences on soil phosphatic retention properties. Seasonal flooding of soil by converting upland red earth into irrigated rice field is particularly effective in lowering the M and K values of their phosphate adsorption isotherms.