The circulation of phosphorus

It is well known that quantities of phosphorus in the soil are on average 0.15%. Most of it is in the form of inorganic compounds whereas the rest of it can be found in organic compounds: nucleic acids, phospholipids, etc.  The availability of phosphorus to the plants mostly depends on the pH value of the soil. The plants receive it from the soil in the form of ions of ortophosphoric acid and H2PO4 and HPO4 . The greatest amount of phosphorus in the soil comes from rocks and the minerals of the matrix cliffs, which are basic components of the soil, as well as from organic components. Since the phosphorus in the soil is in a different forms with different solubility, it is very important that the coefficient of its availability to the plants and its return to the soil to be conducted through organic materials. Most of these processes are regulated by terrestrial bacteria that are present in microbiological fertilizers.

Out of the total quantities of phosphorus that are returned in an organic way, a large quantity is returned through the death of the bacteria. This process is called Phosphorus mobility and through this process nutritional compounds for the plants are created. (Approximately 30% of total bacteria’s body weight consists of phosphorus)

Phosphorus mobilization is the second important process through which the insoluble tertiary phosphates are turned into available forms of phosphorus , i.e. phosphorus from alumosilicates. In the composition of soil, alumosilicates are represented with 62%. (This substance is inexhaustible). The type of bacteria bacilus pseudomonas encourages the mineralization of the alumosilicates where they mobilize the available anions in the protoplast of the cell. In this process, the bacteria from alumosilicates absorb the calcium and transform it into tricalcium phosphate, as well as primary and secondary phosphate compounds available to the plants. Moreover, when the silica ions separate from the crystal nets of alumosilicates, in the bacteria organisms after their death, they turn into phosphorus ions available to the plants.