Phosphate and Plants
Phosphate and Plants
Phosphorus is one of the most important nutrients for plants. The concentration of this element is between 0.03 to 0.22 percent in cultivated soils. However, because of immobilization by mineral ions such as Fe, Al and Ca or organic acids, the rate of available phosphate (Pi) is well below plant needs. Chemical Pi fertilizer are also immobilized in the soil immediately such that only 20 percent is absorbed by crop plants.
Reduction in Pi resources, on one hand, and environmental pollutions resulted from both production and applications of chemical Pi fertilizer, on the other hand, have already demanded the use of new generation of fertilizers.
