The Role of Soil Structure on Chemical and Physical Mechanisms of Phosphorus Availability

The availability of soil phosphorus to plants is influenced by the ability of roots to penetrate the soil and by patterns of moisture and deficit. The present research explores the effects of soil structure on phosphorus release from existing reserves. This has implications for optimising fertiliser use and mitigating phosphorus loss to watercourses. The project consists of pot trials, runoff simulations, and high-resolution soil pore analyses.