Phosphorus (chemical symbol P) is present in every living cell, both plant and animal. The light energy captured by photosynthesis would not support any of the necessary plant functions if compounds which contain P were not present as "energy packaging" structures. Phosphorus is indeed the energizer in plant production.
Phosphorus is as vital to agriculture as is the sun. Without P, the sun’s bountiful energy would never be packaged in a loaf of bread or a juicy orange. Photosynthesis is the basic food production process in growing plants. Photosynthesis requires P compounds for energy transfer as carbon dioxide from the air and water from the soil are converted to simple sugars. Once the sugars are formed, P is again needed for utilization of the sugars by the plant.
Root uptake of all plant food nutrients is dependent, in part, on an adequate supply of P. It is not surprising that the P status of the plant frequently influences utilization of other nutrients such as N. Fixation of N from the air by legumes is also dependent on P. Nitrogen fixation takes place in the soil and is carried out by bacteria, usually living in nodules on leguminous plant roots. Nitrogen fixed in this manner is available for use by the legume or by crops that follow the legume. Crop plants cannot use atmospheric N, even though nearly 80% of the air we breathe is N.
Phosphorus is a part of the building blocks of genes and chromosomes. It is intimately involved in providing the "blueprint" for all aspects of plant growth and development and in the germination process of the seed which passes the "blueprint" on to the next generation.
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