Increasing Nitrogen & Phosphorus Efficiency

By James Hoorman, Hoorman Soil Health Services

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 1900’s, 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 our 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. … Continue reading