Novel Biofertiliser for Sustainable Agriculture: Tackling Phosphorus Crisis

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Shortage and rising prices of phosphorus (P) fertilisers pose major threats to global food security. We discovered a novel symbiosis in which the native fungus Austroboletus occidentalis significantly improves P nutrition of crops by tapping into soil residual P bank. This project aims to i) characterise growth and nutritional benefits of this new biofertiliser for major food and biofuel crops, ii) explore its other potential benefits and formulations, and iii) conduct multi-year field trials to quantify grain yield benefits of the biofertiliser. Expected outcomes would pave the way for broadacre application of this biofertiliser, leading to reduced use of synthetic P fertilisers, enhanced food security and environmental sustainability.