282-1 The Dubious Relationship Between P Use Efficiency and Loss Mitigation.

See more from this Division: SSSA Division: Soil Fertility & Plant Nutrition
See more from this Session: Symposium--Practices That Improve Fertilizer Use Efficiency and Reduce Nutrient Losses - Phosphorus

Tuesday, November 5, 2013: 1:00 PM
Tampa Convention Center, Room 24

Paul E. Fixen, International Plant Nutrition Institute Americas and Oceania Group, Brookings, SD and Thomas W. Bruulsema, International Plant Nutrition Institute, Guelph, ON, Canada
Abstract:
Research and field experience has generally taught us that practices leading to increased efficiency of N use by crops also contribute to reduced potential for N losses to water. The case for this same relationship for P is much less convincing. Situations with high P use efficiency, using traditional efficiency expressions such as partial nutrient balance, agronomic efficiency, or recovery efficiency, may result in high loss of P to water bodies, while situations with low P use efficiency, as defined by these expressions, may result in relatively small losses. A focus on increasing P use efficiency may be a successful approach to loss mitigation where past or current P input levels have been excessive, but in other cases, mitigation often requires a more holistic approach to P stewardship that encompasses P  timing and placement, conservation measures, and better utilization of all P sources to accomplish the water quality and productivity objectives of P use.  The challenge is that agronomically unimportant P losses that have a negligible impact on recovery efficiency or nutrient balance, may represent important losses to water.

See more from this Division: SSSA Division: Soil Fertility & Plant Nutrition
See more from this Session: Symposium--Practices That Improve Fertilizer Use Efficiency and Reduce Nutrient Losses - Phosphorus

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