Bioengineering and management for efficient and sustainable utilization of phosphorus in crops

Phosphorus (P) is an essential macronutrient for plant growth, but low P availability in soils is also a primary constraint to crop production. To meet the increasing demands for food, P fertilizer applications have been increased, causing the accumulation of surplus P in soils, which has led to the frequency and magnitude of associated risk effects on agroecosystems. Finding solutions for efficient and sustainable crop P utilization is, therefore, an urgent priority. This review summarizes recent progress in bioengineering approaches to improving crop P efficiency and highlights that modifying root architecture in P-deficient soils and reducing P accumulation in grains in soils with P surplus could offer a way forward for improving P use efficiency.