, Sept. 28 -- Scientists have developed a simpler and more affordable method to measure a biologically active form of phosphorus in soil, potentially offering new insights into how soil microbes help plants obtain the nutrient.

Phosphorus is essential for plant growth and food production, but natural reserves of the nutrient are finite. Understanding how phosphorus is stored, transformed and released in soil could help maintain agricultural productivity while reducing nutrient waste and environmental impacts.

An international research team involving scientists from Sultan Qaboos University, the James Hutton Institute, Oman's Environment Authority and other institutions refined a laboratory technique for measuring DNA-bound phosphorus, o...