In a pot experiment, samples of 17 São Paulo State soils, were fertilized with 0 and 400 kg of total P(2)0(5) /ha by the addition of Araxa apatite and triple superphosphate. Rice was grown and the aerial part was cut after 40 days and used as a biological index. The dry matter weight was correlated to soil available P, determined by H2SO4 and by ionic exchange resins. It was not possible to determine which soils properties influenced the apatite solubilization, but seems that pH and native soil P, can indicate some aspects of the process.