1. Outlook and Update on Phosphate Fertilizer Use in South
America with emphasis on Brazil and Argentina
Eng.Agr. Martín Torres Duggan
Tecnoagro S.R.L (Argentina). mtorresduggan@tecnoagro.com.ar

2. Outline
 Agriculture overview in Brazil and Argentina
 Current fertilizer consumption and trends (Brazil and Argentina)
 Phosphorus as plant nutrient (Brazil and Argentina)
 Agronomic overview of phosphate fertilization (Brazil and Argentina)
 Brief overview of phosphate fertilizer use in Uruguay, Paraguay and Chile

3. Importance of Brazilian agriculture
Austria Hungary Rumania Holland Lituania Italy Poland Estonia
Checoslovaquia
Duluth
France Mato Grosso
Irlanda Greece
Belgium Ukraine
Albania Bosnia
Des Moines
Portugal Croacia Columbus
Macedonia
Spain Bulgaria Iceland CornOeste (E. U. A)
Meio belt (USA)
UK Yugoslavia
Germany Norway Nashville
Letonia Finland
Switzerland
Denmark
Bielo Rússia
Sweden
Image from Coelho (John Deere, 2001). Fonte: J. L. Coelho, John Deere, 2001. Fonte: J. L. Coelho, John Deere, 2001.
Fertilizer consumption Grain production
Adapted from Da Cunha et al. (2011) Adapted from Da Cunha et al. (2011)

4. What about the Argentine agriculture?
Grain production
Soybean cultivation expansion
Crop production (x 1000 MT)
Fertilizer consumption
Melgar et al. (2011)
IPNI, Southern Cone and Fertilizer AC.

5. Brazil and Argentina fertilizer consumption
Brazil 76% of South
American fertilizer
Southern Cone region consumption
Bolivia
Paraguay
Pacific Ocean
Argentina
Chile  60% of Southern Cone
Uruguay
fertilizer consumption
Atlantic Ocean

6. Main trends in fertilizer use in Brazil, Argentina
and other Southern Cone countries
Steady consumption of phosphate fertilizers (Brazil & Argentina).
Increasing demand of bulk blends and compound fertilizers (Brazil &
Argentina).
Upward trend in liquid fertilizer demand (Argentina).
Promising research and development studies on phosphate rock use in
agriculture (Brazil).
Steady increase in P and S fertilizer consumption mainly driven by
soybean cultivation expansion (Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and
Paraguay).

7. Phosphorus in Brazilian soils
Major soils are tropical and Soil fertility constraints in Brazil
sub-tropical
Most soils are P deficient
Widespread N, P and K fertilization
High restriction
Restrictive
Moderate restrictive
P fertilization is applied in all the Low restrictions
Without restriction
cropped area
P fertilizers are critical to obtain high-yielding crops.
Image from Roberts, 2009.

8. What about phosphorus in Argentine agriculture?
Most “Pampas” soils are P deficient.
Phosphorus is applied together with N and S.
Current soil K levels are high and hence K fertilization is not a
common practice.
About 50-60% of cropped land receive P fertilization.
Only 40% of P removed in grains is replenished by fertilization, but P
balance has been improving significantly over recent years.

9. Phosphorus status in the Pampas’ soils
Current soil P availability (Bray 1 P, 0-20 cm, ppm).
Region Average Prob. Prob. Prob.
25% 50% 75%
Southeastern Buenos Aires 12.9 7.2 10.3 15.5
(n=4540) Santa Fe
Western Buenos Aires 13.6 7.7 11.4 16.8
Córdoba
(n=7519)
Northern Buenos Aires 13.6 6.5 9.9 15.8
(n=8445)
Southern Santa Fe 22.9 10.5 16.8 30
(n=4293)
Southern Córdoba 19.2 10.5 15.6 23.9
(n=2641))
Low availability
Buenos Aires
Medium availability
Good availability Map prepared with 2005 -06 soil data.
Adapted from Sainz Rozas et al. (2011).

10. Phosphorus status in the Cerrados (Brazil)
%
%
%
%
%
Note: % of soil samples
Adapted from Melgar et al. (2011)

11. Phosphate fertilizer consumption in Brazil and
Southern Cone countries
Country Year Nutrient consumption (X 1000)
N P2O5 K2O Total
N+P2O5+ K2O
Brazil 2008 2.502 3.196 3.689 9.387
Argentina 2007 894 702 54 1650
Bolivia 2007 13 12 4 29
Chile 2003 270 180 81 532
Paraguay 2007 42 167 82 291
Uruguay 2007 128.4 178.4 21 328
Adapted from García & Salvagiotti (2009)

12. Phosphate fertilizer consumption by crop
Argentina Brazil
Image adapted from Darwich (2005), Lavado & Taboada, 2009

13. How do farmers decide P fertilization ?
In both countries (Brazil and Argentina) there are P fertilization models
(calibrations) available for different crops and regions.
Diagnosis is based on soil testing and other soil characteristics.
Although current soil analysis use is low in Brazil and Argentina,
compared to developed countries, it has been growing over recent years.
The “sufficiency” criteria is the most common under P fertilization rented
lands (short term leasing).
Build up and maintenance schedules are used mainly by owners of the
land or farmers who rent the land for many years.

14. Current soil testing use
Country N° of soil Ha/soil sample Reference
samples per year
Brazil > 1 million 32 Van Raij et al.
(2008), García
(2011).
Argentina ~ 160.000 249 García (2011).
Soil Analysis done by Tecnoagro (the largest private soil laboratory in Argentina).
Dry years

15. Soil P testing used in Brazil and Argentina
Country Method Reference
Brazil Mehlich 1 or resin Van Raij et al. (2008),
Melgar et al. (2011)
Argentina Bray & Kurtz 1 Van Raij et al. (2008),
Ciampitti et al. (2011)
100
Relative Grain Yield (%)
90 Example of diagnosis model used
for P fertilizaiton for soybean in the
80 Pampas of Argentina.
70 y = 100 (1 - e (-0.1562 (x + 6.69))
R 2 = 0.70 , n = 47
60
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
P Bray1 (ppm, 0-20 cm)
Gutierrez Boem et al. , (2006)

16. Phosphorus fertilization models
Brazil (soybean in the Cerrado region)
Clay (%) Total correction Partial correction
Very low P Low P Very low P Low P
…………………………..kg P2O5 ha-1…………………………………..
61-80 240 120 100 90
41-60 180 90 90 80
21-40 120 60 80 70
<20 100 50 70 60
Adapted from Melgar et al. (2011)
Argentina (soybean in the Pampas region)
Yield Soil P status (ppm)
<4 4.1-6 6.1-8
11.1-15 8.1-11
-1
…………………….……………….kg P2O5 ha ………………………………………
2 43 33 28 24 -
3 55 45 40 36 25
4 67 57 52 48 37
Adapted from Echeverría & García (1998)

17. Agronomic effectiveness of phosphate sources
Most P fertilizers used in Brazil and Argentina are water-soluble sources
(e.g. MAP, DAP, SPS, TSP, etc.)
Phosphate rock (reactive forms) is also a significant P source in Brazil.
Clear upward trend towards bulk blends and “multi-nutrient” fertilizer
products.
Interesting potential for adoption of P fluid fertilizers.
Most research studies have shown similar agronomic effectiveness and
agronomic use efficiency among water-soluble P fertilizers both in Brazil
and Argentina.
Most field research shows higher residual effect with phosphate rocks
than water-soluble P fertilizers.

18. Application methods of phosphate fertilizers
The P fertilization at planting, in rows (i.e. banded) is the traditional
application method used by farmers in Argentina and Brazil.
However, in no-till systems, broadcast application has been evaluated
over recent years.
Soybean in the Cerrado region. (adapted from Ceretta et al. 2007) Adapted from Barbagelata (2011). Differences between P
placement methods are not statistically significant (p<0.05)

19. Phosphate fertilizer consumption over time
Brazil
 It is expected a firm P demand for near and
medium term.
 P demand (annual growth): ~4%
(projection baseline 2001-2011).
 Soybean cultivation in the Cerrado is
and will be a key driving of P demand.
 World economic crisis can change Adapted from Da Cunha et al. (2011)
prospects…
Argentina
 Firm P demand for the near and
medium term expected
 P demand for near and medium run would
be 10-12% (annually).
 Soybean cultivation expansion is
boosting P demand. IPNI Southern Cone and Fertilizar AC

20. Phosphate current use and prospects in Southern Cone countries
Current P fertilizer consumption
 Total P2O5 consumption: ~1.3 mill. MT
 Argentina is the largest P fertilizer consumer.
 Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay are
significant P fertilizer markets.
 Current P fertilizer consumption in Bolivia
is incipient.
Future demand of P fertilizers
 The higher P fertilizer demand will come
from Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay.
 Soybean cultivation expansion is a key
factor driving the P demand for near future.
 Chile is a “mature” (stabilized) fertilizer
market, interesting for specialty's fertilizers.
Adapted from IPNI, Southern Cone.

21. Thank you!!