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This review aims to examine microbial mechanisms for phosphorus (P) solubilization, assess the impacts of P mining and scarcity, and advocate for sustainable recycling strategies to enhance agricultural and environmental resilience. Phosphorus is an indispensable macronutrient for plant growth and agricultural productivity, yet its bioavailability in cultivation systems is often constrained. This scarcity has led to a heavy reliance on fertilizers derived from mined phosphate rock (PR), which is a finite resource usually contaminated with hazardous elements such as uranium, radium, and thorium. Plants absorb only about 10–20% of P from applied fertilizers, leading to significant inefficiencies and negative environmental consequences. Additionally, the uneven geographic distribution of PR reserves exacerbates global socioeconomic and geopolitical vulnerabilities. Healthy soils enriched with diverse microbial communities provide a sustainable avenue to address these growing challenges. Rhizospheric organisms, including phosphorus-solubilizing and phosphorus-mineralizing bacteria and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, are capable and pivotal in the sustainable conversion of inorganic and organic P into bioavailable forms, reducing reliance on synthetic fertilizers. The mechanisms used by these microbes often include releasing organic acids to lower soil pH and solubilize insoluble inorganic phosphorus compounds and the production of enzymes, such as phosphatases and phytases, to break down organic phosphorus compounds, including phytates, into bioavailable inorganic phosphate. Some microbes secrete chelating agents, such as siderophores, to bind metal ions and free phosphorus from insoluble complexes and use biofilms for P exchange. This review also advocates for the recycling second-generation P from organic waste as a sustainable and socially equitable alternative to conventional phosphate mining.
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This content will become publicly available on January 1, 2026
Boosting the South: A Vision for an All-Atlantic Training Platform
Multidisciplinary and multinational cooperation is a prerequisite for success in marine research. The only way to establish sustainable global and regional management of the ocean is to view it as a whole and study all its different facets holistically. In addition to large-scale data collection, such studies require an exchange of knowledge, harmonization of laboratory and evaluation methods, and the mutual use of infrastructure. To further these goals, international training and education opportunities as well as work experiences need to involve underdeveloped regions in a meaningful and equal manner in order to reduce differences among national stakeholders, help promote the blue economy, and lead to better life conditions in a sustainable environment.
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- Award ID(s):
- 2318309
- PAR ID:
- 10599836
- Publisher / Repository:
- The Oceanography Society
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Oceanography
- Volume:
- 38
- Issue:
- 1
- ISSN:
- 1042-8275
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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