THE KEY to improving the native tussock grasslands of the South Island is to obtain good legume growth. In these areas, the main nutrient deficiencies which limit the growth of legumes are sulphur, phosphorus and molybdenum. Sulphur deficiencies are very widespread (Walker et al., 195.5; Lobb and Bennetts, 1958; McLeod, 1961). The manner in which a rational fertilizer programme was formulated f...

This paper reviews the latest information and perspectives on global phosphorus scarcity. Phosphorus is essential for food production and modern agriculture currently sources phosphorus fertilizers from finite phosphate rock. The 2008 food and phosphate fertilizer price spikes triggered increased concerns regarding the depletion timeline of phosphate rock reserves. While estimates range from 30...

Given the non-renewable nature of global phosphate reserves, there is a push to increase the phosphorus (P) efficiency of agricultural crops. Research has typically focussed on investigating P acquisition efficiency or internal P utilization efficiency to reduce crop fertilizer requirements. A novel option that would reduce the amount of P exported from fields at harvest, and may ultimately red...

to evaluate the effects of phosphate solubilizing bacteria and chemical phosphorous fertilizer on turnip (brassica rapa) forage yield under limited irrigation regimes, a field experiment was conducted in research farm of college of agriculture and natural resources, university of tehran, in karaj/iran during 2009 growing season. the experimental treatments were arranged as split plots. five lev...

phosphorus is an essential element for plants. much of the agricultural lands of iran has calcareous soils, in which, due to high ph, phosphorous availability is less, therefore, it appears as a limiting factor for plant growth. application of biofertilizers instead of chemical ones has gained attention in order to produce healthy crops, reduce pollution of soil and water resources by reducing ...

Agricultural applications of chemical fertilizers are a world wide practice. The specific activity of uranium-238 and heavy metals in phosphate fertilizers depends on the phosphate ore from which the fertilizer produced and on the chemical processing of the ore. Composite phosphate fertilizers samples where collected and the uranium-238 specific activity, in Bq/kg, and As, Cd, Cu, Pb, Se concen...

Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles may provide a more soluble and plant available source of Zn in Zn fertilizers due to their greater reactivity compared to equivalent micron- or millimetre-sized (bulk) particles. However, the effect of soil on solubility, spatial distribution and speciation of ZnO nanoparticles has not yet been investigated. In this study, we examined the diffusion and solid phase...