Open AccessPhosphite: a novel P fertilizer for weed management and pathogen control
Author(s) -
Achary V. Mohan M.,
Ram Babu,
Manna Mrinalini,
Datta Dipanwita,
Bhatt Arun,
Reddy Malireddy K.,
Agrawal Pawan K.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
plant biotechnology journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.525
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1467-7652
pISSN - 1467-7644
DOI - 10.1111/pbi.12803
Subject(s) - weed control , fertilizer , biology , weed , agronomy , agriculture , crop productivity , microbiology and biotechnology , crop , ecology
Summary The availability of orthophosphate (Pi) is a key determinant of crop productivity because its accessibility to plants is poor due to its conversion to unavailable forms. Weed's competition for this essential macronutrient further reduces its bio‐availability. To compensate for the low Pi use efficiency and address the weed hazard, excess Pi fertilizers and herbicides are routinely applied, resulting in increased production costs, soil degradation and eutrophication. These outcomes necessitate the identification of a suitable alternate technology that can address the problems associated with the overuse of Pi‐based fertilizers and herbicides in agriculture. The present review focuses on phosphite (Phi) as a novel molecule for its utility as a fertilizer, herbicide, biostimulant and biocide in modern agriculture. The use of Phi‐based fertilization will help to reduce the consumption of Pi fertilizers and facilitate weed and pathogen control using the same molecule, thereby providing significant advantages over current orthophosphate‐based fertilization.