Final report of the FAO/IAEA co-ordinated research project on the use of nuclear and related techniques for evaluating the agronomic effectiveness of phosphate fertilisers, in particular rock phosphates

Soils in developing countries are often deficient in available P, and therefore require inputs of P fertiliser for optimum plant growth and production of food and fibre. Due to economic considerations, the cost of applying imported or locally produced water-soluble P fertilisers is often more expensive than utilising indigenous phosphate rock. Phosphate rocks show large differences in their suitability for direct application and several factors influence their capability to supply phosphorus to crops. Therefore, quantifying the P availability of soils amended with phosphate rocks in a variety of crop management and environmental conditions in developing countries is imperative for making recommendations on the best type and rate of P fertiliser sources for maximum agronomic and economic benefits. P-32 isotope techniques are very useful for such studies. The background situation of phosphate research and the topics to be investigated using isotope techniques were critically examined in a Consultants Meeting held at the IAEA Headquarters, Vienna, Austria, from 10 to 12 May 1993. For detailed information please refer to IAEA Report CT-1112. Based on the recommendations of this Consultants' Meeting, the Joint FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture with the generous support of the French Government decided to implement the Co-ordinated Research Project (CRP) on 'The Use of Nuclear and Related Techniques for Evaluating the Agronomic Effectiveness of Phosphate Fertilisers, in particular Rock Phosphates'. This final report describes the Fourth and Final RCM of the CRP which was held in Vienna, 16-20 November 1998. It also contains a full description of the project and the conclusions and recommendations of the CRP. The programme of the meeting, list of participants, summaries submitted by the participants and list of publications are included as annexes