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Welcome to the Agribook Blog

These blogs contain agricultural related information and written by our editor Craig Macaskill as well as guest columnists from time to time.

Check back often for new blogs!

Global potassium supplies

Potassium in our soil is running low, threatening global food security – new study proposes a way out

Will Brownlie, UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology; Mark Maslin, UCL, and Peter Alexander, The University of Edinburgh Soils around the world are running low on potassium, a key nutrient needed for plants to grow. This ultimately means we may not be able to grow enough food for everyone. But it’s not too late: we have just published research identifying six things we must do to safeguard potassium supplies and food production. Potassium is required for plant growth alongside nitrogen and phosphorus (known as kalium in latin, potassium is the K in NPK fertilisers). While nitrogen and phosphorus sustainability issues are widely known, potassium remains in the shadows. Yet around 20% of agricultural soils worldwide grapple with potassium deficiency, especially in east Asia, south-east Asia, Latin America and sub-Saharan Africa. Globally, more potassium is being extracted in

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