FAYETTEVILLE, Ark., Aug. 14 -- The University of Arkansas issued the following news release:
The United States could exhaust its domestic phosphorus supply within 40 years. Europe, LatinAmericaand Southeast Asia already depend on imports from China and Morocco to meet their needs. Without phosphorus, crops cannot grow - and without a reliable supplyof the mineral, the world's food supply is at risk.
"You talk to any farmer and they know the 'NPK.' The nitrogen,phosphorusand potassium, so NPK, are the three big ones that we typicallyhave toadd to make sure we have enough to grow crops," said Becca Muenich, an associate professor of biological and agricultural engineering at the U of A. The chemical symbol for potassium is K.
Most phosphor...