Spatiotemporal dynamics of soil phosphorus and crop uptake in global cropland during the twentieth century

Abstract

Phosphorus (P) plays a vital role in global crop production and food security. In this study, we investigate the changes in soil P pools and crop P uptake, using a 0.5 by 0.5 degree spatially explicit model for the period 1900-2010. The simulated country-scale crop P uptake agrees well with historical P uptake. Simulated crop P uptake is influenced by both soil properties (available P and the P retention potential) and crop characteristics (maximum uptake). Until 1950, P fertilizer application had a negligible influence on crop uptake, but recently it has become a driving factor for food production in industrialized countries and a number of transition countries like Brazil, Korea and China. Globally, the total P pool per hectare increased rapidly between 1900 and 2010 in soils of Europe (+31%), South America (+2%), North America (+15%), Asia (+17%) and Oceania (+17%), while it has been stable in Africa. This comprehensive and spatially explicit model can be used to assess the dynamics of soil P inventories, which serve as indicators for soil fertility and productivity.