Maximising the uptake of phosphorus by crops to optimise profit in central and southern NSW, Victoria and South Australia
Investment
Maximising the uptake of phosphorus by crops to optimise profit in central and southern NSW, Victoria and South Australia
This project explores the effect fertiliser placement has on nutrient use efficiency given nutrient stratification, soil water availability and the root architecture of different crops. The project deploys a series of experiments designed to identify strategies that increase crop yield through increased phosphorus (P) uptake in central and southern NSW, Victoria and South Australia. Studies are based on a combination of field experiments, and controlled environment studies that will be used to understand if and why certain combinations of P placement and soil moisture can enhance P fertiliser use efficiency for different crop types.
Furthermore, the research will identify P application rates that can be used to enhance P uptake and crop yield in diverse soil and climate scenarios. Computer simulation studies on soil water along with other data help guide site and treatment selection.
The project has three components that address the following questions:
- Does the dual placement of subsurface and surface P improve crop yield and/or P use efficiency over surface P placement only;
- Do crop species differ in their response to subsurface P placement; and
- How does water and root proliferation interact with subsurface P application and crop uptake of P.
- Project start date:
- 10/01/2020
- Project end date:
- 30/04/2025
- Crop type:
-
- All Crops
- Organisation
- [NSW] Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development
- Region:
- North, South
- Project status
-
Active
GRDC News
Deep treatments put to the test
09 Sep 2021
By digging deep, two PhD students are exploring the benefits and potential negatives of phosphorus...
Update papers
- 10 Feb 2025, Surface P fertility and crop type influence response to deep P: is there a role for deep P in southern NSW? - GRDC
- 10 Feb 2025, Crop responses to P placement in southern NSW: Residual P effects over five seasons - GRDC
- 03 Feb 2025, Subsurface phosphorus placement does not improve crop performance compared with shallow placement in south-eastern Australia - GRDC
- 13 Feb 2023, Does applying phosphorus (P) both deep and shallow produce better crops than shallow P alone in southern NSW? - GRDC