World Phosphorus Use Efficiency in Cereal Crops

Abstract

A current estimate of global phosphorus use effi ciency (PUE) for cereal production is not available. Th e objectives of this paper were to estimate PUE for cereal crops grown in the world and to review methods for improvement. Phosphorus use effi ciency was determined using world cereal harvested area, total grain production, and P fertilizer consumption from 1961 to 2013, in addition to assumptions established from previous literature. World PUE of cereal crops was calculated using both balance and diff erence methods. Using the balance method, cereal grain P uptake is divided by the P fertilizer applied. Alternatively, the diff erence method accounts for P coming from the soil and that is subtracted from applied P. Utilized in this analysis is the estimate that cereal production accounts for 61% of the total harvested cropland. Cereal grain yields increased from 1.35 to 3.90 Mg h -1 between 1961 and 2013. In 1961, the world's fertilizer P consumption was 4,770,182 Mg and increased to 16,662,470 Mg of P fertilizer by 2013. Th is represents a 3.5× increase in P fertilizer consumption over 53 yr. Phosphorus use effi ciency estimated using the balance method was 77%. Using the diff erence method, PUE for cereal production in the world was estimated to be 16%.

Nitrogen management impact on winter wheat grain yield and estimated plant nitrogen loss

“…Historically, yield goals were used for estimating N fertilizer requirement, but their adequacy has been refuted (Raun et al, 2017a). Furthermore, Raun et al (2017) suggested the use of active sensors using vegetation indices to recommend in-season fertilizer N recommendation. A commonly used vegetation index in crop nutrient management is the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) (Piedallu et al, 2019).…”

On‐Farm Winter Wheat Response to Nitrogen‐, Phosphorus‐, Potassium‐, and Sulfur‐Rich Strips in Oklahoma

“…Phosphorus (P) efficiency is also of concern, as it is one of the prime limiting factors for plant growth and the least mobile mineral nutrient (Goldstein, 1986; Srivastava and Singh, 2008; Joseph et al, 2015). Recovery of applied fertilizer P ranges from <10% to as high as 30% and world P efficiency averages 16% (Dhillon et al, 2017), but because fertilizer P is considered immobile in the soil and reacts with other soil minerals rather slowly, long‐term recovery of P by subsequent crops can be much higher (Roberts, 2008). For potassium (K), use efficiency by plants is generally considered higher than N and P because it is immobile in most soils and is not subject to gaseous losses like N or the fixation reactions that affect P. Efficiency of applied K can range from 20 to 80% (Roberts, 2008; Brar et al, 2011).…”

Generating a high‐resolution map of labile soil phosphorus using ferrous oxide–impregnated paper combined with scanning electron microscopy

“…Due to its slow mobility and high fixation, P fertilizer‐utilization efficiency (PUE) is extremely low. For example, the global estimated PUE in cereals from 1961 to 2013 was roughly 16% (Dhillon, Torres, Driver, Figueiredo, & Raun, ). The nonutilized P tends to be retained in the uppermost soil layers and is thus prone to being lost in the runoff water and transported to surface water, with severe environmental impact (King et al., ).…”