The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations estimates that around 45 million tons of phosphorus fertilizers will be used around the world in 2018. Much will be applied to soils that also received phosphorus fertilizers in past years.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations estimates that around 45 million tons of phosphorus fertilizers will be used around the world in 2018. Much will be applied to soils that also received phosphorus fertilizers in past years.
According to a new study, much of that could be unnecessary.
“Previous application of phosphorus fertilizers increases the effectiveness of subsequent applications,” says Jim Barrow, lead author of the study. Barrow is a scientist at the University of Western Australia.
He says better understanding soil phosphorus dynamics can have many benefits. It could lead to more judicious use of phosphorus fertilizers. “At a world level, phosphorus is a limited resource. We need to use it wisely.”
Read more at American Society of Agronomy
Image: Abhijit Debnath in his laboratory. (Credit: Abantika Debnath)
