How understanding soil chemistry can lead to better phosphate fertilizer practice: a 68 year journey (so far)

• Published in: Plant and soil Vol. 476; no. 1-2; pp. 117 - 131
• Main Author: Barrow, N. J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer International Publishing 01.07.2022; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adsorption; Agricultural land; Agriculture; Anions; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Buffers (chemistry); Cations; Chemistry; Ecology; Experiments; Fertilizers; Forecasts and trends; Iron oxides; Life Sciences; Nickel; Penetration; Phosphate; Phosphates; Phosphatic fertilizers; phosphorus fertilizers; Plant Physiology; Plant Sciences; Review Article; soil; Soil chemistry; Soil conditions; Soil properties; Soil research; Soil Science & Conservation; Soil surfaces; Soils; Surface charge; Terminology; Water pollution; United Kingdom; Reaction with soil; Buffering capacity; Phosphate buildup; Phosphate desorption; Residual value; Phosphate sorption

This paper describes a journey which started with the question: why do farmers reapply phosphate? This led to understanding how phosphate and other specifically sorbed ions, both cations and anions react with soil. Under most soil conditions, they do not precipitate to give specific compounds. Rathe...