Increasing Nitrogen & Phosphorus Efficiency
.png)
Plants need both Nitrogen (N) and Phosphorus (P) to grow well. A lack of these two elements limits growth. Farmers apply N & P fertilizer, especially to corn, to increase yields, but there is a limit. Since the 1900s, N fertilizer applications have increased 5X or 500%, while P fertilizer inputs have increased 76%. Too much N fertilizer ties up soil P levels and other nutrients. A recent study looked at how farmers may be able to reduce N fertilizer inputs while increasing crop yields and enhancing P fertilizer use efficiency. P fertilizer stocks are running low in the USA (expected to be depleted by 2050), so farmers need to start thinking about how they can use existing stocks of P fertilizer better, both mined and in the soil, to enhance yields. A large meta-study (combined results from 222 independent studies) looked at how N responds to P fertilizer. Overall, adding P fertilizer had a positive effect on plant N uptake, resulting in higher plant growth above and below ground. I...