Soil phosphorus - from feast to famine - Attachment to World of Agriculture article Ayaga et al. 2011 to be re-published in Agriculture & Biosciences CABI

Summary The current fertilizer phosphorus (P) made from rock phosphate (rock P ) reserves mined each year comes from ever decreasing reserves. This causes continued global increases in the price of P fertilizer, leading to increases in food prices, even though the overuse of phosphorus in fertilizers and manures still causes serious problems in both developed and developing countries. The mean net Chinese soil P surplus in 1980 had increased from 4.6 kg P -1 ha to 42.1 kg P ha-1 by 2012. In contrast, it was estimated that, in 2017, the UK P balance was positive with a surplus of 6.2 kg P ha-1 in managed agricultural land. This had decreased by 0.2 kg/ha (-4%) compared to 2016, and by 3.8 kg ha-1, a decline of -38%, compared to 2000