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Integrating legacy soil phosphorus into sustainable nutrient management strategies for future food, bioenergy and water security

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Abstract

Legacy phosphorus (P) that has accumulated in soils from past inputs of fertilizers and manures is a large secondary global source of P that could substitute manufactured fertilizers, help preserve critical reserves of finite phosphate rock to ensure future food and bioenergy supply, and gradually improve water quality. We explore the issues and management options to better utilize legacy soil P and conclude that it represents a valuable and largely accessible P resource. The future value and period over which legacy soil P can be accessed depends on the amount present and its distribution, its availability to crops and rates of drawdown determined by the cropping system. Full exploitation of legacy P requires a transition to a more holistic system approach to nutrient management based on technological advances in precision farming, plant breeding and microbial engineering together with a greater reliance on recovered and recycled P. We propose the term ‘agro-engineering’ to encompass this integrated approach. Smaller targeted applications of fertilizer P may still be needed to optimize crop yields where legacy soil P cannot fully meet crop demands. Farm profitability margins, the need to recycle animal manures and the extent of local eutrophication problems will dictate when, where and how quickly legacy P is best exploited. Based on our analysis, we outline the stages and drivers in a transition to the full utilization of legacy soil P as part of more sustainable regional and global nutrient management.

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Acknowledgments

This paper was initiated and refined at the Phosphorus Sustainability Research Coordination Network (P RCN) meetings in Tempe, Arizona in January 2014 and Washington DC in May 2015. We thank the U.S. National Science Foundation (CHE-1230603) for funding that workshop and to the UK Science & Innovation Network of the British Consulate-General for providing additional travel support. We also thank Dr. Tom Bruulsema, International Plant Nutrition Institute and two anonymous referees for their useful comments.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA

    Helen Rowe & Neng Iong Chan

  2. School of Environment, Natural Resources and Geography, Bangor University, Bangor, UK

    Paul J. A. Withers

  3. Department of Ecosystem Science and Sustainability, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA

    Peter Baas & Matthew Wallenstein

  4. Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute, Belfast, Ireland

    Donnacha Doody

  5. Public Hygiene Let’s Us Stay Human (PHLUSH), Portland, OR, USA

    Jeff Holiman

  6. Institute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology, Sydney, Australia

    Brent Jacobs

  7. Center for Resources, Environment and Food Security, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, People’s Republic of China

    Haigang Li & Jianbo Shen

  8. Department of Geography, McGill University, Montreal, Canada

    Graham K. MacDonald

  9. AgResearch, Lincoln University, Lincoln, New Zealand

    Richard McDowell

  10. Department of Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, USA

    Andrew N. Sharpley

  11. TerraNimbus, Pelham, GA, USA

    Wendy Taheri

  12. Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH, USA

    Michael N. Weintraub

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  1. Helen Rowe
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Correspondence to Paul J. A. Withers.

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Rowe, H., Withers, P.J.A., Baas, P. et al. Integrating legacy soil phosphorus into sustainable nutrient management strategies for future food, bioenergy and water security. Nutr Cycl Agroecosyst 104, 393–412 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10705-015-9726-1

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