Phosphite: a novel P fertilizer for weed management and pathogen control |
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| Authors: | Dipanwita Datta Arun Bhatt Malireddy K Reddy Pawan K Agrawal |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Crop Improvement Group, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, New Delhi, India;2. Department of Biotechnology, Govind Ballabh Pant Engineering College, Ghurdauri, Pauri Garhwal, Uttarakhand, India;3. National Agricultural Science Fund, Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi, India |
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| Abstract: | 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. |
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| Keywords: | pathogen management phosphate fertilizer phosphite dehydrogenase phosphorus use efficiency stimulant weedicide |
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