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Superphosphate

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147:. The advantage of superphosphate fertilisers is that a significant proportion of the phosphate content is soluble and is immediately available to plants. It thus provides a very quick boost to plant growth. However, the complex soil dynamics tend to immobilize phosphate in mineral complexes or organic 360:
Eutrophication of rivers, lakes and the sea has a very well-documented link to increasing phosphate concentrations. However, teasing out the contribution made to this problem by the use of superphosphate is difficult because of the wide range of other sources of phosphorus compounds in both human and
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However, the key quality that made superphosphate so attractive—the solubility of the phosphate—also created an ongoing demand for the product as the soluble phosphorus salts and phosphate bound to fine sediments are eluted from fields into rivers and streams where they became lost to agriculture but
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The addition of phosphorus as super-phosphate enables much greater crop yields. Although there is some replenishment of soil phosphorus from mineral sources and release from soil complexes by physical and biological mechanisms, the rate of re-solubilisation is too low to support modern agricultural
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Kongshaug, Gunnar; Brentnall, Bernard A.; Chaney, Keith; Gregersen, Jan-Helge; Stokka, Per; Persson, Bjørn; Kolmeijer, Nick W.; Conradsen, Arne; Legard, Torbjørn; Munk, Harald; Skauli, Øyvind; Kiiski, Harri; Solheim, Kai Roger; Legard, Torbjörn; Brentnall, Bernard A.; Rauman-Aalto, Paulina (2014).
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All plants and animals need phosphorus compounds to carry out their normal metabolism even though in the case of plants it may constitute as little as 2% of their dry matter. The phosphorus can be in the form of soluble inorganic phosphates or organic compounds containing phosphorus. In the living
334:" vary between 30 years from 2022, or somewhere between 2051 and 2092. As the human population increases and the demand for food increases, the availability of superphosphate fertilisers in the future may be less secure, suggesting that alternative sources of phosphate may need to be developed. 151:
reducing the availability to plants. Phosphates are also lost to the soil and plant environment when crops are harvested or consumed by animals or otherwise lost to the local system. Phosphates tend to be tightly bound to fine sediments in the soil. Leaching of sediments from soil can lead to
88:(later an agricultural research station), naming the resultant product "super phosphate of lime". He patented the discovery, and in 1842, started producing superphosphate from fossilised dinosaur dung on an industrial scale; this was the first chemical manure produced in the world. 176:
Superphosphates are manufactured in all the main industrial centres of the world, including Europe, China and the US. In 2021, about 689,916 tonnes of superphosphate were produced with more than half from Poland and substantial amounts from Indonesia, Bangladesh, China and Japan.
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Continuous use of superphosphate can lead to soil acidification, particularly on poorly buffered soils, altering pH levels and potentially limiting nutrient availability. This necessitates careful monitoring and management of soil pH to prevent long-term
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The fate of phosphates in soil is complicated as they readily form complexes with other minerals such as clays, and aluminium and iron salts, and may be generally unavailable to plants except by weathering and through the action of bacterial and the soil
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While superphosphate enriches soil with phosphorus, excessive or imbalanced application can disrupt nutrient ratios, leading to deficiencies or toxicities in plants. Evidence is emerging that elevated levels may be associated with deadly infections by
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Superphosphate is relatively cheap compared to other available sources of phosphate. The lower price contributes to its widespread adoption, particularly in developing regions where the costs of agricultural inputs are a significant consideration.
357:. Many terrestrial orchids which rely on mycorrhizal associations may have similar sensitivities to elevated phosphate levels and populations may be suppressed by applications of superphosphate containing fertiliser. 388: 317:, and the reaction to produce superphosphate is exothermic: provided that the heat generated is fully re-used, the whole cycle may have a negative carbon footprint as low as -518 g/kg for production alone. 312:
amounting in some estimates to 1.2kg/kg for the manufacture of superphosphate and 238 g/kg for transport. Other sources note that assuming all the sulfur for the sulfuric acid is recovered from oil and
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The term, "double superphosphate", refers to a mixture of triple and single superphosphate, resulting from the extraction of phosphate rock with a mixture of phosphoric and sulfuric acids.
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All formulations of superphosphate contain a significant proportion of soluble and available phosphate ions which is the key quality that has made them essential for modern agriculture.
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were discovered and used. Soluble phosphate is an essential nutrient for all plants, and the availability of superphosphate revolutionised agricultural productivity.
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Nouri, E.; Surve, R.; Bapaume, L.; Stumpe, M.; Chen, M.; Zhang, Y.; Ruyter-Spira, C.; Bouwmeester, H.; Glauser, G.; Bruisson, S.; Reinhardt, D. (28 June 2021).
800:"The growth of improved pastures on acid soils. 1. The effect of superphosphate and lime on soil pH and on the establishment and growth of phalaris and lucerne" 1065: 765: 731: 986: 1188: 508: 477: 156:
productivity. Organic phosphorus contained within plant or animal matter is much more readily re-solubilised as the material decomposes through
900: 596: 843:"Interaction of soil pH and phosphorus efficacy: Long-term effects of P fertilizer and lime applications on wheat, barley, and sugar beet" 622: 929: 91: 1024: 673: 327:. Sustainable fertilisation practices, including soil testing and targeted applications, are essential to mitigate this risk. 1059: 699: 76:
which showed that coprolites were rich in phosphate that could be made available for plants by dissolution in sulfuric acid.
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cell, energy is accumulated or expended using a complex range of biochemical processes which involve the transformation of
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with phosphoric acid. Many proprietary fertilisers are derived from triple superphosphate, for example by blending with
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have been traced back to intensive poultry rearing with the excess phosphate coming from poorly-managed chicken manure.
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next to a similar new factory operated by Joseph Fisons. These operations were destined to form part of the
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Single superphosphate is produced using the traditional method of extraction of phosphate rock with
893: 592: 1141:"Phosphate Suppression of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Symbiosis Involves Gibberellic Acid Signaling" 353: 323: 124: 593:"Phosphorus: a finite resource essential for life, critical for agriculture and food security" 342: 341:, have a sensitivity to excess phosphorus, getting all that they need from associations with 240: 128: 50: 618: 61: 8: 1250: 85: 925: 1165: 1140: 1116: 1091: 867: 842: 314: 267: 345:. Examples of plants that are intolerant of the application of superphosphate include 1170: 1121: 1055: 1012: 872: 778: 429: 131:
when energy is being expended and the reverse when energy is being accumulated as in
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The availability of suitable phosphate-rich rocks is limited and estimates of "
259: 165: 132: 49:, animal manure, or crushed bones. So valuable were these resources during the 22:
is a chemical fertiliser first synthesised in the 1840s by reacting bones with
858: 1244: 1092:"Inorganic phosphorus nutrition in green-leaved terrestrial orchid seedlings" 1090:
Davis, B.; Lim, W. H.; Lambers, H.; Dixon, K. W.; Read, D. J. (12 May 2022).
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fertiliser company. The street where the original mill stood is still called
81: 23: 799: 84:, learnt of these discoveries and conducted his own research at his farm at 1174: 1125: 876: 338: 98:
to produce this new fertiliser from coprolites excavated in the village of
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with sulfuric acid. Subsequently, other phosphate-rich deposits such as
647:. Altera Scientific Contributions -Wageningen University. 26 May 2015. 236: 144: 30: 815: 430:"Phosphate Fertilizer Production – From the 1830's to 2011 and Beyond" 362: 65: 54: 27: 894:"Table 7: Greenhouse Gas Emission Factors for Phosphate Fertilisers" 396:
Mining History: The Bulletin of the Peak District Historical Society
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von Tucher, S.; Hörndl, D.; Schmidhalter, U. (24 November 2017).
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A significant number of plants, especially those that evolved in
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elevated phosphate concentrations in the receiving watercourse.
1189:"Analysis: A watershed moment for phosphates and the river Wye" 987:"Preventing Phytophthora Infestations in Restoration Nurseries" 644: 148: 107: 57:
across Europe were pillaged for human bones to satisfy demand.
270:. Typical fertiliser-grade triple superphosphate contains 45% 308:
Production and transport produce significant quantities of CO
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Risks and Opportunities in the Global Phosphate Rock Market
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in England. He was aware of previous research in Dorset by
566:. Encyclopaedia of New Zealand - Teara. 24 November 2008. 511:. Alabama A&M and Auburn Universities. 19 April 2019. 235:
Triple superphosphate is a component of many proprietary
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The earliest phosphate-rich fertilisers were made from
1215:"River Wye: Pollution not caused by farming, says NFU" 1089: 595:. CSIRO _ Australia's Science Agency. 26 June 2019. 540:. New South Wales Department of Primary Industries. 295: 68:– fossilised dinosaur dung – in the cliffs of south 26:. The process was subsequently improved by reacting 674:"Phosphorus: Essential to Life—Are We Running Out?" 1242: 928:. The American Geological Institute. July 2023. 960:. University of Western Australia. April 2024. 804:Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 766:Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry 1151:(6). National Library of Medicine: 959–970. 386: 117: 476:. Ipswich Maritime Trust. 26 October 2019. 361:animal waste streams. Recent issues on the 1054:. The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies. 1164: 1115: 989:. Oregon State University. January 2022. 866: 676:. Columbia Climate School. 1 April 2013. 668: 666: 445: 382: 380: 378: 102:. He moved his operation in the 1850s to 926:"Mineral Resource of the Month - Sulfur" 797: 230: 222: 188: 888: 886: 732:"Superphosphate above 35% - production" 587: 585: 1243: 949: 947: 769:. Weinheim: Wiley-VCH. pp. 1–49. 663: 503: 501: 499: 497: 495: 375: 532: 530: 427: 1191:. MA Agriculture. 20 February 2023. 883: 757: 755: 753: 611: 582: 944: 492: 13: 1225:from the original on 29 March 2024 1195:from the original on 29 March 2024 1071:from the original on 26 April 2024 1027:from the original on 27 March 2024 967:from the original on 26 April 2024 932:from the original on 29 March 2024 906:from the original on 28 March 2024 899:. Stanford University. June 2004. 822:from the original on 28 March 2024 738:from the original on 29 March 2024 712:from the original on 28 March 2024 651:from the original on 29 March 2024 599:from the original on 28 March 2024 544:from the original on 28 March 2024 527: 515:from the original on 28 March 2024 454:from the original on 26 April 2024 14: 1272: 993:from the original on 8 April 2024 750: 680:from the original on 8 April 2024 625:from the original on 8 April 2024 621:. University of Hawaii at Manoa. 570:from the original on 8 April 2024 296:Adverse impacts of superphosphate 645:"Phosphorus leaching from soils" 480:from the original on 17 May 2020 197:, an approximate 1:1 mixture of 16:Phosphorus containing fertiliser 1207: 1181: 1132: 1083: 1039: 1005: 979: 918: 834: 791: 724: 692: 474:"The Story of Corpolite Street" 180: 637: 556: 466: 421: 281:eq, single superphosphate 20% 171: 1: 1013:"Approaching peak phosphorus" 775:10.1002/14356007.a19_421.pub2 538:"Why phosphorus is important" 368: 258:. It is obtained by treating 447:10.1016/j.proeng.2012.09.461 164:help to encourage unwelcome 7: 239:. It primarily consists of 10: 1277: 387:O'Connor, Bernard (2005). 40: 1145:Plant and Cell Physiology 859:10.1007/s13280-017-0970-2 763:"Phosphate Fertilizers". 118:Agricultural significance 955:"Super-sensitive plants" 700:"Normal superphosphates" 428:Ivell, David M. (2012). 564:"Story: Superphosphate" 354:Grevillea crithmifolia 324:Phytophthora cinnamomi 125:adenosine triphosphate 60:In 1842, the Reverend 1261:Inorganic fertilizers 1023:. 15 September 2022. 798:Horsnell, LJ (1985). 343:Arbuscular mycorrhiza 241:monocalcium phosphate 231:Triple superphosphate 223:Double superphosphate 189:Single superphosphate 129:adenosine diphosphate 51:Industrial Revolution 434:Procedia Engineering 62:John Stevens Henslow 53:that graveyards and 1157:10.1093/pcp/pcab063 1108:10.1093/aob/mcac030 402:(5). Archived from 1221:. 14 August 2023. 853:(Suppl 1): 41–49. 268:potassium chloride 1256:Calcium compounds 1061:978-94-91040-69-6 816:10.1071/ea9850149 78:John Bennet Lawes 1268: 1235: 1234: 1232: 1230: 1211: 1205: 1204: 1202: 1200: 1185: 1179: 1178: 1168: 1136: 1130: 1129: 1119: 1096:Annals of Botany 1087: 1081: 1080: 1078: 1076: 1070: 1053: 1043: 1037: 1036: 1034: 1032: 1009: 1003: 1002: 1000: 998: 983: 977: 976: 974: 972: 966: 959: 951: 942: 941: 939: 937: 922: 916: 915: 913: 911: 905: 898: 890: 881: 880: 870: 838: 832: 831: 829: 827: 795: 789: 788: 759: 748: 747: 745: 743: 728: 722: 721: 719: 717: 711: 704: 696: 690: 689: 687: 685: 670: 661: 660: 658: 656: 641: 635: 634: 632: 630: 615: 609: 608: 606: 604: 589: 580: 579: 577: 575: 560: 554: 553: 551: 549: 534: 525: 524: 522: 520: 505: 490: 489: 487: 485: 470: 464: 463: 461: 459: 449: 425: 419: 418: 416: 414: 408: 393: 384: 348:Hakea prostrata 303:soil degradation 291: 280: 264:ammonium sulfate 257: 218: 211: 112:Coprolite Street 80:, who farmed in 74:William Buckland 1276: 1275: 1271: 1270: 1269: 1267: 1266: 1265: 1241: 1240: 1239: 1238: 1228: 1226: 1213: 1212: 1208: 1198: 1196: 1187: 1186: 1182: 1137: 1133: 1088: 1084: 1074: 1072: 1068: 1062: 1051: 1045: 1044: 1040: 1030: 1028: 1011: 1010: 1006: 996: 994: 985: 984: 980: 970: 968: 964: 957: 953: 952: 945: 935: 933: 924: 923: 919: 909: 907: 903: 896: 892: 891: 884: 839: 835: 825: 823: 796: 792: 785: 760: 751: 741: 739: 730: 729: 725: 715: 713: 709: 702: 698: 697: 693: 683: 681: 672: 671: 664: 654: 652: 643: 642: 638: 628: 626: 617: 616: 612: 602: 600: 591: 590: 583: 573: 571: 562: 561: 557: 547: 545: 536: 535: 528: 518: 516: 507: 506: 493: 483: 481: 472: 471: 467: 457: 455: 426: 422: 412: 410: 406: 391: 385: 376: 371: 332:peak phosphorus 311: 298: 290: 286: 282: 279: 275: 271: 256: 252: 248: 244: 233: 225: 217: 213: 210: 206: 202: 198: 191: 183: 174: 120: 43: 17: 12: 11: 5: 1274: 1264: 1263: 1258: 1253: 1237: 1236: 1206: 1180: 1131: 1102:(6): 669–678. 1082: 1060: 1038: 1004: 978: 943: 917: 882: 833: 810:. CSIRO: 149. 790: 784:978-3527306732 783: 749: 723: 691: 662: 636: 610: 581: 555: 526: 491: 465: 420: 373: 372: 370: 367: 315:gas sweetening 309: 297: 294: 288: 284: 277: 273: 260:phosphate rock 254: 250: 246: 232: 229: 224: 221: 215: 208: 204: 200: 190: 187: 182: 179: 173: 170: 166:eutrophication 133:photosynthesis 119: 116: 92:Edward Packard 42: 39: 20:Superphosphate 15: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 1273: 1262: 1259: 1257: 1254: 1252: 1249: 1248: 1246: 1224: 1220: 1216: 1210: 1194: 1190: 1184: 1176: 1172: 1167: 1162: 1158: 1154: 1150: 1146: 1142: 1135: 1127: 1123: 1118: 1113: 1109: 1105: 1101: 1097: 1093: 1086: 1067: 1063: 1057: 1050: 1049: 1042: 1026: 1022: 1018: 1017:Nature Plants 1014: 1008: 992: 988: 982: 963: 956: 950: 948: 931: 927: 921: 902: 895: 889: 887: 878: 874: 869: 864: 860: 856: 852: 848: 844: 837: 821: 817: 813: 809: 805: 801: 794: 786: 780: 776: 772: 768: 767: 758: 756: 754: 737: 733: 727: 708: 701: 695: 679: 675: 669: 667: 650: 646: 640: 624: 620: 614: 598: 594: 588: 586: 569: 565: 559: 543: 539: 533: 531: 514: 510: 504: 502: 500: 498: 496: 479: 475: 469: 453: 448: 443: 439: 435: 431: 424: 409:on 2017-02-02 405: 401: 397: 390: 383: 381: 379: 374: 366: 364: 358: 356: 355: 350: 349: 344: 340: 335: 333: 328: 326: 325: 318: 316: 306: 304: 293: 269: 265: 261: 242: 238: 228: 220: 196: 195:sulfuric acid 186: 178: 169: 167: 161: 159: 153: 150: 146: 140: 136: 134: 130: 126: 115: 113: 109: 105: 101: 97: 93: 89: 87: 83: 82:Hertfordshire 79: 75: 71: 67: 63: 58: 56: 52: 48: 38: 36: 32: 29: 25: 24:sulfuric acid 21: 1227:. Retrieved 1218: 1209: 1197:. Retrieved 1183: 1148: 1144: 1134: 1099: 1095: 1085: 1073:. Retrieved 1047: 1041: 1029:. Retrieved 1020: 1016: 1007: 995:. Retrieved 981: 969:. Retrieved 934:. Retrieved 920: 908:. Retrieved 850: 846: 836: 824:. Retrieved 807: 803: 793: 764: 740:. Retrieved 726: 714:. Retrieved 694: 682:. Retrieved 653:. Retrieved 639: 627:. Retrieved 619:"Phosphorus" 613: 601:. Retrieved 572:. Retrieved 558: 546:. Retrieved 517:. Retrieved 482:. Retrieved 468: 456:. Retrieved 437: 433: 423: 411:. Retrieved 404:the original 399: 395: 359: 352: 346: 339:Gondwanaland 336: 329: 322: 319: 307: 299: 234: 226: 192: 184: 181:Formulations 175: 162: 154: 141: 137: 121: 90: 59: 44: 19: 18: 440:: 166–171. 237:fertilisers 172:Manufacture 35:phosphorite 1251:Phosphates 1245:Categories 734:. Knoema. 369:References 145:microbiome 86:Rothamsted 66:coprolites 31:coprolites 363:River Wye 160:action. 158:microbial 55:catacombs 28:phosphate 1229:29 March 1223:Archived 1219:BBC News 1199:29 March 1193:Archived 1175:34037236 1126:35247265 1075:29 March 1066:Archived 1031:28 March 1025:Archived 991:Archived 971:28 March 962:Archived 936:29 March 930:Archived 910:28 March 901:Archived 877:29178058 826:28 March 820:Archived 742:28 March 736:Archived 716:28 March 707:Archived 678:Archived 649:Archived 623:Archived 603:28 March 597:Archived 568:Archived 548:28 March 542:Archived 519:28 March 513:Archived 484:28 March 478:Archived 458:28 March 452:Archived 413:27 March 104:Bramford 1166:8504448 1117:9113155 997:8 April 868:5722739 705:. EPA. 684:8 April 655:8 April 629:8 April 574:8 April 149:ligands 96:Ipswich 70:Suffolk 41:History 1173:  1163:  1124:  1114:  1058:  875:  865:  781:  108:Fisons 100:Kirton 64:found 1069:(PDF) 1052:(PDF) 965:(PDF) 958:(PDF) 904:(PDF) 897:(PDF) 847:Ambio 710:(PDF) 703:(PDF) 407:(PDF) 392:(PDF) 47:guano 1231:2024 1201:2024 1171:PMID 1122:PMID 1077:2024 1056:ISBN 1033:2024 999:2024 973:2024 938:2024 912:2024 873:PMID 828:2024 779:ISBN 744:2024 718:2024 686:2024 657:2024 631:2024 605:2024 576:2024 550:2024 521:2024 486:2024 460:2024 415:2024 351:and 292:eq. 266:and 245:Ca(H 214:CaSO 212:and 199:Ca(H 1161:PMC 1153:doi 1112:PMC 1104:doi 1100:129 863:PMC 855:doi 812:doi 771:doi 442:doi 127:to 1247:: 1217:. 1169:. 1159:. 1149:62 1147:. 1143:. 1120:. 1110:. 1098:. 1094:. 1064:. 1019:. 1015:. 946:^ 885:^ 871:. 861:. 851:47 849:. 845:. 818:. 808:25 806:. 802:. 777:. 752:^ 665:^ 584:^ 529:^ 494:^ 450:. 438:46 436:. 432:. 400:14 398:. 394:. 377:^ 305:. 249:PO 243:, 219:. 203:PO 168:. 135:. 114:. 1233:. 1203:. 1177:. 1155:: 1128:. 1106:: 1079:. 1035:. 1021:8 1001:. 975:. 940:. 914:. 879:. 857:: 830:. 814:: 787:. 773:: 746:. 720:. 688:. 659:. 633:. 607:. 578:. 552:. 523:. 488:. 462:. 444:: 417:. 310:2 289:5 287:O 285:2 283:P 278:5 276:O 274:2 272:P 255:2 253:) 251:4 247:2 216:4 209:2 207:) 205:4 201:2

Index

sulfuric acid
phosphate
coprolites
phosphorite
guano
Industrial Revolution
catacombs
John Stevens Henslow
coprolites
Suffolk
William Buckland
John Bennet Lawes
Hertfordshire
Rothamsted
Edward Packard
Ipswich
Kirton
Bramford
Fisons
Coprolite Street
adenosine triphosphate
adenosine diphosphate
photosynthesis
microbiome
ligands
microbial
eutrophication
sulfuric acid
fertilisers
monocalcium phosphate

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