Phosphate Minerals, Environmental Pollution and Sustainable Agriculture

Research Article| April 01, 2008 Phosphate Minerals, Environmental Pollution and Sustainable Agriculture David A.C. Manning David A.C. Manning *School of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Newcastle University Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK E-mail: david.manning@ncl.ac.uk Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information David A.C. Manning *School of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Newcastle University Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK E-mail: david.manning@ncl.ac.uk Publisher: Mineralogical Society of America First Online: 09 Mar 2017 Online ISSN: 1811-5217 Print ISSN: 1811-5209 © 2008 by the Mineralogical Society of America Elements (2008) 4 (2): 105–108. https://doi.org/10.2113/GSELEMENTS.4.2.105 Article history First Online: 09 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation David A.C. Manning; Phosphate Minerals, Environmental Pollution and Sustainable Agriculture. Elements 2008;; 4 (2): 105–108. doi: https://doi.org/10.2113/GSELEMENTS.4.2.105 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyElements Search Advanced Search Abstract The availability of phosphorus in soils is controlled by the ability of plants to dissolve phosphate-bearing minerals, including apatite and feldspars. To satisfy the requirement of plants for phosphate, mineral dissolution competes with precipitation such as, for example, reactions involving lead or other heavy metals. Plants exude organic acid anions that very effectively enhance mineral dissolution but that may also liberate harmful solutes, such as aluminium. To make readily soluble chemical fertilisers, apatite in igneous and sedimentary rocks is mined and processed; in organic farming, phosphate-rich rocks are crushed and applied directly to the soil, relying on compounds produced by plant roots (exudates) to extract the phosphorus that plants need. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.