Entrenched interests would be a driver as well as conventional wisdom here to date imo. That said there are indeed millions of acres in the mid-west (US) and beyond operated by commercial growers whom leverage the benefits of inoculating their acres with beneficial microbes. Ultimately mother nature dictates yield mainly thru moisture availability (acres under a pivot excluded) so growers focus on risk mitigation and nutrient efficiencies to achieve profitability. The paradigm is shifting away from heavy synthetics due to costs, generational transitions in operation management and our understanding of the rhizosphere. Beneficial microbes are not the only answer but leveraging their inherent capabilities is an effective tool and currently available.
Absolutely. There are plenty of naturally occurring beneficial microbes currently being applied/utilized in US Ag to accomplish this. P is different than fixed N as the P is currently in a plant unavailable form in the root zone ie soil. Microbes solubilize thru enzymatic processes this unavailable P into a plant available form. With decades of MAP/DAP application and/or manure there is an abundance of locked up P in the soil and beneficial microbes hold an immediately accessible set of keys!
I would suggest that fertilizer prices are higher due to cost increases to manufacture them but also because grain prices are higher. There seems to be a relationship between the 2 which is independent of actual costs to manufacture the inputs. As grain prices increase input costs increase, likewise with the inverse, grain prices decrease input prices decrease. Supply and demand for sure but there seems to be market forces outside of simply supply vs demand.
Interesting approach. Currently pairing soil testing with tissue testing is cost effective tool to put a value on the fertility growers apply to their fields. We need this movement towards efficient nutrient management to continue to adapt and/or add tools to address eutrophication of our watersheds due to point source runoff. Better nutrient management also brings a positive effect to growers agronomics.
This is an approach I have seen first hand in my professional life. We have isolated multiple strains of beneficial microbes from contaminated sites (primarily hydrocarbons) for use in remediation efforts. These microbes are very capable and have abilities beyond say the degradation of benzene…for instance they provide nitrogen fixation or phosphate solubilization or other plant promoting activities which allows us to use the same isolates in agriculture to promote a more sustainable production system. I believe microbes play and will continue to play a fundamental role as we find the balance between lowering the impact of commercial agriculture while ensuring the agronomics of said production.
