Researchers look for solutions to irreplaceable phosphorus for agriculture

April 5, 2020 |

In Germany, German-Chinese Research Training Groups at the University of Hohenheim and the China Agricultural University in Beijing are looking for solutions for sustainable phosphorus use using the example of maize cultivation systems.

If it is not possible to use the resource phosphorus more sustainably, mankind is heading for a serious crisis: phosphorus is irreplaceable as a nutrient for plants, animals and people. If it gets back into the soil via excretions or dead organic material, the cycle closes. At the moment, however, agricultural production worldwide cannot do without mineral fertilizers with considerable amounts of additional phosphate, which must be mined in natural deposits. However, these deposits counteract their exhaustion and are also extremely unevenly distributed worldwide. On the other hand, environmental problems often occur in areas with high livestock density, because too much phosphate is spread in the fields via manure. A German-Chinese Research Training Group is currently researching approaches to the complex global problem using the example of maize cultivation systems. The goal: a sustainable circular economy in the sense of the bioeconomy. The joint doctoral training at the University of Hohenheim in Stuttgart and the China Agricultural University (CAU) in Beijing has been funded by the DFG since October 2018.

Category: Research

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