Excessive phosphate fertilizer use can reduce microbial functions critical to crop health

(American Phytopathological Society) A team of scientists at Penn State University set out to determine if nutrient history changed the function of soil microorganisms. The answer seems to be yes, and that soil treated with high amounts of phosphate can result in poorer plant performance, but even more intriguing, it appears that the soil microorganisms from this conditioned soil can negatively impact plant yield.