Innovations of phosphorus sustainability: implications for the whole chain

Abstract

Phosphorus (P) is a non-renewable resource, therefore ensuring global food and environmental security depends upon sustainable P management. To achieve this goal, sustainable P management in the upstream and downstream sectors of agriculture from mineral extraction to food consumption must be addressed systematically. The innovation and feasibility of P sustainability are highlighted from the perspective of the whole P-based chain, including the mining and processing of P rock, production of P fertilizers, soil and rhizosphere processes involving P, absorption and utilization of P by plants, P in livestock production, as well as flow and management of P at the catchment scale. The paper also emphasizes the importance of recycling P and the current challenges of P recovery. Finally, sustainable solutions of holistic P management are proposed from the perspective of technology improvement with policy support.

The niche complementarity driven by rhizosphere interactions enhances phosphorus‐use efficiency in maize/alfalfa mixture

“…Phosphorus (P) is an essential macronutrient for plants. The slow diffusion and high fixation of P in most soils often limit plant growth and crop productivity (Hinsinger, 2001;Johnston et al, 2014;Shen et al, 2019). To adapt to P deficiency, plants have evolved diverse strategies for increasing P acquisition from soil (Lambers et al, 2006;Wang & Lambers, 2019).…”

Development of a Novel Model of Soil Legacy P Assessment for Calcareous and Acidic Soils

“…The average P inputs per hectare are 1 and 0.25 kg ha −1 yr −1 from weathering and deposition, respectively, which are the same as for the DPPS model. When P loss is calculated by cultivated land area (MNR., 2016) and P loss in provinces (Zhang et al, 2019a), the P loss in northwest and south China is 0.36 and 1.34 kg P ha −1 yr −1 , respectively.…”

“…This legacy P in arable lands is estimated at a minimum of 347 kg P ha −1 within the 0-20 cm depth soil layer (Rowe et al, 2015). On the one hand, legacy P, as a potential P resource, may be absorbed by crops in subsequent growing seasons; on the other hand, excessive P accumulation in soil increases the risk of P loss into the environment through soil erosion and surface runoff (Stockdale et al, 2002;Bai et al, 2013;Zhang et al, 2019a;Zhang et al, 2019b). Sustainable utilization of legacy P is necessary to address this challenge (Rowe et al, 2015).…”

A transition management framework to stimulate a circular phosphorus system

“…Thus, for instance, the P price hike in 2008 precipitated a global food crisis, which seen in the broader context of growing geopolitical instability surrounding P reserves in Morocco, heightened awareness about the long-term vulnerability of our food systems to P scarcity (Jacobs et al, 2017). Yet attempts to address these P scarcity and food insecurity challenges over the last decade have remained fragmented and disconnected from contemporaneous incidents of eutrophication due to inefficient use of P on soils, which increasingly threaten our aquatic ecosystems and public health (Brooks et al, 2016;Hoppe et al, 2016;Pick, 2016;Shen et al, 2019). To address this societal problem, we need sustainable solutions to improving P use efficiency along the whole food chain, and specifically within agricultural systems since farming is the main driver of the global P cycle (Nedelciu et al, 2020;Nesme & Withers, 2016;Sarvajayakesavalu et al, 2018).…”