Strategic placement of mineral and biobased fertilizers for optimizing phosphorus use efficiency: A comprehensive review
Pietro Sica, Tomas Javier Sitzmann, Dorette Müller‐Stöver, Jakob Magid
Abstract
Abstract This study presents a literature review focusing on the placement of phosphorus‐rich fertilizers, evaluating their agronomic efficiency and potential benefits to plant growth. While the placement of mineral phosphorus fertilizer offers benefits such as increased early season phosphorus uptake and higher yields, the success of this practice is strongly influenced by factors such as soil type, weather conditions, production system, application depth and others. However, the placement of biowaste and biobased fertilizers can have drawbacks. This review highlights the negative effects associated with the placement of biobased fertilizers, primarily due to low phosphorus solubility and unbalanced nutrient composition, resulting in reduced reactivity and potential ammonium toxicity. Strategies to mitigate these limitations are discussed, including acidification to increase phosphorus solubility and recommending specific placement distances and timing to minimize toxicity effects. In addition, this study demonstrates the importance of further studies on this topic and propose the use of novel visualization techniques (planar optodes, diffusion gradient in thin films) to elucidate the effects of placement of different biowastes on physical, chemical and biological processes in the placement zone and surrounding soil. This will enable a comprehensive understanding of fertilizer composition and placement strategies to unlock the full potential of biobased fertilizers, improve their P use efficiency in agriculture and thus contribute to sustainable agricultural practices and increased productivity, in line with several of the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals.