Efficiency of Soil and Fertilizer Phosphorus Use
Reconciling changing concepts of soil phosphorus behaviour with agronomic
information
J.K. Syers
Dean, School of ScienceMae Fah Luang University, Thailand
A.E. Johnston
Lawes Trust Senior Fellow Rothamsted Research, United Kingdom
D. Curtin
Scientist New Zealand Institute for Crop & Food Research Limited, New Zealand
Published by FAO. ISBN 978-92-5-105929-6
2008
The efficient use of phosphorus (P) is essential to
many agricultural and environmental issues. These include maintaining or
improving the P fertility of soils by the judicious use of P fertilizers and
other sources of P, such as organic manures including animal manures, composts
and biosolids. There is also the need to conserve the finite global P resource.
This bulletin reviews, analyses and synthesizes information on the efficient use
of soil and fertilizer P. It presents information on the plant availability of
soil and fertilizer P, with an emphasis on soil plant interactions. The focus is
on the changing concepts of the behaviour of both soil and fertilizer P and on
the need to define and assess their recovery and, thus, P-use efficiency more
appropriately. The bulletin also outlines strategies for improving P-use
efficiency. Strategies for improving the efficiency of use of soil and
fertilizer P include: (i) modifying surface soil properties; (ii) managing
surface soil; (iii) managing P sources; and (iv) optimizing P use through
economically appropriate rates and timing. The main conclusion of this bulletin
is that the efficiency of fertilizer P use is often high when evaluated over an
adequate time scale using the balance method.
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