Time and spatial scales in ecological sustainability

Abstract

Efficient soil nutrient management is the key factor in sustainable crop production. Routine soil tests fail to precisely quantify plant nutrient bioavailability, from which economically viable fertilizer prescriptions can be made for field crops. The chapter discusses a revolutionary idea based on soil nutrient buffering. Employing thermodynamic principles, the author describes how the buffer power of a soil nutrient can be precisely quantified. Once this is done, the nutrient buffer power values can be integrated into computations, along with routine soil test values, from which economically viable fertilizer prescriptions can be made. A number of test crops, such as, Rye (Secale cereale), in Central Europe (Germany), for phosphorus, Maize (Zea mays) in Northern Europe (Belgium) for zinc, Wheat (Triticum aestivum) in Central Asia (Turkey), Black pepper (Piper nigrum) in South Asia (India) for znc, Cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum Maton) for potassium also in India, and White clover (Trifolium repens) in central Africa (Cameroon) for phosphorus and potassium, have been used to test the validity of the “The Nutrient Buffer Power Concept.” Results are discussed with a new perspective for a fresh insight into soil testing for efficient and economically viable fertilizer management.