Abstract
Deficiency in plant-available phosphorus is considered to be a major limiting factor to food production in many agricultural soils. Mineral resources are necessary to restore soil phosphorus content. In regions where conventional fertilizers are not used due to cost limitations or to mitigate adverse environmental effects, local sources of phosphate rock are being increasingly recognized for potential use as alternative phosphorus fertilizers. The main obstacle associated with using directly applied ground phosphate rock is that the phosphate released is often unable to supply sufficient plant-available phosphorus for crop uptake. Plantand microbial-based mechanisms are low-cost, appropriate technologies to enhance the solubilization and increase the agronomic effectiveness of phosphate rock. Common mechanisms of phosphate rock dissolution including proton and organic acid production will be reviewed for both plants and microorganisms. This review will also address possibilities for future research directions and applications to agriculture, as well as highlight ongoing research at the University of Guelph, Guelph, Canada.
Highlights
Phosphorus (P) deficiencies are limiting crop production in many agricultural soils worldwide where conventional fertilizers are inaccessible
These results are further supported by Narsian and Patel (2000), who tested the effects of known chelators including EDTA, DTPA, NTA, aluminon, and oxine, on phosphate rock (PR) solubilization
This study concluded that PR solubilization was related to the functional groups of the chelators, carboxylic and phenolic hydroxyls
Summary
Phosphorus (P) deficiencies are limiting crop production in many agricultural soils worldwide where conventional fertilizers are inaccessible. In sub-Saharan Africa and in similar tropical soils, P deficiency is considered to be one of the main biophysical constraints to food production (Chien and Menon 1995, Sale and Mokwunye 1993, Sanchez et al 1997). This deficiency is a result of low inherent P fertility due to weathering, in combination with intensive, nutrient-extracting agricultural practices (Sanchez et al 1997, Ssali et al 1986). This paper will review the literature on plant and microbial solubilization of PR, focusing on proton and organic acid production as mechanisms of dissolution, as well as discuss potential applications to agriculture
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