US Phosphorous Production Drops 7 Million Tons In Two Years - Ag., Energy Concerns Growing

[hatrack]

As production of biofuels increase to counter dependence on foreign oil and high fuel prices, some scientists worry that the world's phosphorus supply will slowly diminish, limiting our ability to grow crops and forcing fertilizer prices through the roof. Phosphorous is essential to plant growth. Mined out of phosphate rocks, it is one of the three critical elements found in fertilizer along with potassium and nitrogen. "From our country's deposits, we could run out in 50 to 100 years, which isn't very long," said Jessica Davis, professor of soil and crop sciences at Colorado State University. "I think that people aren't really aware of it."

Land resources in the U.S. are capable of producing a sustainable supply of 1.3 billion tons per year of biomass, or energy from natural sources such as wood, according to the Renewable Fuels Association, using a significant amount of phosphorous. Dan Bush, professor and chair in the biology department at CSU, agrees we could eventually deplete our supply of phosphorous but biofuels will not be the only cause, he said. Farming will also contribute to the decline, Bush wrote in an e-mail to the Coloradoan. "In all farming, for food or fuel, some nutrients are removed with the harvested material," Bush wrote. "Over time, any given required nutrient can become limiting as it moves out of the field with the harvested tissue."

Phosphorous is mined throughout the world including in the United States in Florida, North Carolina, Idaho, Montana and Utah, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. In 2007, the United States produced 29 million tons of phosphates, down from 30 million tons in 2006 and 36 million tons in 2005, according to the USGS. While phosphorus goes through a natural cycle back into the earth through plants and cattle excretions, phosphorus is declining in the United States. The country will then have to obtain its supply from North Africa, according to the USGS.

Some say farmers are already seeing an increase in fertilizer prices. "Fertilizer prices are astronomically high," said Ernie Marx, extension agent for agriculture and natural resources at the Larimer County and CSU extension office. Marx, however, said that could be contributing to several things including high oil prices and natural gas prices which are needed, in part, to produce fertilizer. "What we hear is that there is a shortage of sulfuric and phosphoric acid," said Ed Race, operations manager at Poudre Valley Coop Association Inc., which provides fertilizer in bulk.

EDIT

http://www.energybulletin.net/42388.html

[DCKit]

1. HEMP. n/t

[hunter]

2. It's like worrying about where you are going to buy spark plugs for your car...

...when you don't even know how you are going to buy fuel for it.

High density fertilizers that take a lot of energy to produce are going to become increasingly expensive. In turn, industrial agriculture as it is currently practiced will become increasingly expensive and not competitive with more "organic" production methods adapted to local conditions.

There are all sorts of phosphorous sources for organic gardening, but using them is not at all the same as industrial agriculture's use of fertilizers such as MonoAmmonium Phosphate synthesized in China.

[Tashca]

3. I am being asked constantly for alternatives

I do have customers constantly asking me to be on the lookout for alternative sources of N, P, and K.
Much of these production acres are in close proximity to housing....Manure can not be considered obviously.
Right now MAP, DAP, and triple super are our only alternatives unless you count super expensive polyphosphate sources. If you have ideas we will listen.

I did find a by-product Nitrogen and Sulfur source from Ethanol to Lysine production. We used several thousand acres last fall....cheaper than conventional sources. We are crossing our fingers that it is as effective.

I also have worked in organic crop production. The best source of Potassium in that market is Potassium Sulfate. I was selling it at $450 a ton last fall. It is currently $850 and rising.

With all this said.....These prices are here to stay....I was informed yesterday that both China and India are now bigger users of commercial fertilizers than th U. S. I don't know that for a fact and have a hard time believing it. If it is true.....we ain't seen nothing yet...

[hunter]

6. It's not always about "sources."

In many soils the phosphorous is there. but you have to cultivate the bacteria, fungi, etc., that are able to grab it and make it available to plants. Generally these organisms get the energy to do this by the addition of organic materials to the soil. It is also possible to utilize bulky otherwise unusable and locally available phosphate rock by adding it to compost.

Obviously we are not going to be shipping these bulky additives all over the world like we do concentrated synthetic fertilizers.

I'm an organic gardener. In our household there are plenty of things we can throw into the compost heap. I have no idea how I'd scale those gardening skills up to plant hundreds of acres -- maybe giant compost heaps? Anyone know how to turn great stinking piles of manure into sweet smelling compost usable near residential areas?

I'm pretty sure there is no general solution. As prices for fertilizers increase, people will adapt their farming methods to use locally available resources, pay the increased price, or starve. Whatever solutions to the problem we find will tend be local, especially if they involve the transport of very bulky materials.

[Tashca]

7. Your right

The fertility is there.....and it just needs to be released. We have so much to learn. It's about a combination of chemical and biological processes.

I too am an Organic gardener....and have been since the early eighties. I ran across a book called The Self-Sufficient Gardener by John Seymour....it is my bible on gardening still. I have done several variations from his ideas, but the core ideas are still very valid. I have tried to figure out ways to take these ideas to production agriculture. Perfecting these practices I truly believe I can out produce any conventional gardener....and this should be able to be achieved in the field. I have developed some very core beliefs and have discussed some with area farmers. I believe the time is getting right to make a transition. They are listening and searching for new ideas.

[LiberalEsto]

4. Where does the potassium go?

It doesn't just vanish into thin air.

Does some of it get washed out by rain water and end up in streams and ponds? Is there some way to capture it from the water and re-use it? Maybe this is something that should be studied.


On edit: heres an article on a farming method that solves the potassium problem.

http://www.sustainer.org/dhm_archive/index.php?display_article=vn140thompsoned

[Tashca]

5. not into thin air

My education comes from land grant Universities and the fertilizer industry. So take what I have to say with a grain of salt....I try and sort it out the best I can.

Nitrogen and Sulfur are very mobile in the soil...they follow the water table closely. They are also very soluble when they are in the form the plant can use. That is why Nitrogen in particular ends up in our surface water....and in some cases our ground water.

Potassium and Phosphorus are relatively immobile. The ways they are removed from the soil are through crop removal and soil erosion. Both bind to the soil fairly well. The problem with them in the way they are currently used....when they breakdown and are available for use to the plant it is a relatively short time. They are very susceptible to chemical tie up with other soil particles. To get enough available to raise the high yields that are currently being produced.....the stuff is over applied to make sure there will be a source when needed. Most of what is understood about the process is chemical....we are just starting to learn about the biological processes. In my opinion we have sufficient fertility for many years out in most of these fields....but it is chemically tied up.....unavailable.. We need to learn how to untie them for plant use. I think the secret is through biological processes...

I am familiar with the Thompson's....and I agree that we can learn from their system.

[amandabeech]

8. Back in the days of smaller, diversified farms,

animal wastes were recycled. Those days are long gone, but I assume that much of that phosphorus, potassium and other nutrients are contained at some depth in the soil that was farmed years ago.

Now, with CAFOS, the stuff is too soupy and often too contaminated that little gets returned to the soil.

I'd be very interested in hearing more from the organic farmers on how to release phosphorus and potassium.