Soil Quality
Fact Sheets - Phosphorus
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Summary
Many soils in Australia and particularly Western Australia are ancient and highly weathered with very low levels of natural phosphorus. As a result, these soils were amongst the most acutely phosphorus deficient found anywhere in the world when cleared for agriculture. Profitable crop production on most wheat-belt soils of Western Australia has only been possible by applying significant quantities of phosphorous fertilisers. More recently it has also been a requirement especially on sandy soils in high rainfall areas that detrimental impacts of fertiliser both on-site and off-site must be minimised if utilisation of the soil resource is to be sustainable. This will only be achieved if fertiliser input is matched to crop and pasture demands.
