Episode 304: Phosphorus and the Beauty of Biology
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From cover crops to regenerative grazing and organic production to marketing, ATTRA - Voices from the Field is your sustainable agriculture podcast. Voices from the Field is produced by NCAT. Since 1976, NCAT has provided trusted information, individualized technical assistance, and in-depth resources to support sustainable agriculture and accessible energy solutions.
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In this episode of Voices from the Field, NCAT Agriculture Specialists Nina Prater, Guy Ames, and Lee Rinehart explore the balancing act of managing phosphorus – a macro-nutrient essential for life.
Getting just the right amount of phosphorus without over-applying it is a tricky balance because of the unique way phosphorus interacts with the soil. Getting phosphorus fertilization right is also important for farm profitability since the price of phosphorus fertilizer has almost doubled in recent years. And phosphorus can have highly detrimental effects if it runs off fields into lakes and streams, making managing phosphorus a critical problem for producers to solve.
Using nature as a model, farmers and ranchers can manage phosphorus on their farm to maintain productivity while reducing their reliance on inputs of synthetic forms of this expensive, non-renewable resource.
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Other Resources:
The Nature and Properties of Soils
The Devil’s Element: Phosphorus and a World Out of Balance
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