The legacy of phosphorus: agriculture and future food security.

Growing global demand for food leads to increased concern regarding phosphorus (P), a finite and dwindling resource. Debate focuses on current production and use of phosphate rock rather than on the amount of P required to feed the world in the future. While the time scale of P depletion is debatable, a critical question beyond the physical availability of P is whether P resource depletion can be managed by sustainable consumption of P...