New Soil Test Could Help Farmers Understand How Microbes Unlock Hidden Phosphorus
30 September 2026, Scotland: Researchers at Sultan Qaboos University in Oman, working with the James Hutton Institute in Scotland and Oman’s Environment Authority, have developed a simplified laboratory method for measuring DNA-bound phosphorus in soil, a refinement that could make it far cheaper and easier for scientists to study how soil microbes make this crucial nutrient available to crops. The findings were published in the Journal of Agricultural and Marine Sciences.
Phosphorus is one of the three primary nutrients crops need alongside nitrogen and potassium, but unlike nitrogen, it is a finite mineral resource extracted mostly from a handful of phosphate rock deposits worldwide, making its efficient use a long-term priority for global food security. A meaningful share of the phosphorus present in soil is bound up in organic material, including DNA released by dead microorganisms and plant matter, and soil microbes play a central role in breaking down that organic phosphorus into forms plants can actually absorb. Until now, measuring this DNA-bound phosphorus, known as DNA-P, required a laboratory process involving multiple enzyme treatments that added cost and complexity, limiting how widely the measurement could be used in research and, eventually, in field-level soil testing.
The research team, led by Margaret Massam and Daniel Menezes-Blackburn along with Mohammed Al Kasbi and other collaborators, found that the enzyme treatment step in the earlier method was not actually necessary to get a reliable reading, reducing both the cost and the technical complexity of the test. An ultrafiltration step, which separates DNA-bound phosphorus from other forms in a soil sample, remained necessary for accurate results. The team validated the streamlined approach on 32 soil samples collected across the United Kingdom, representing a range of soil types and management conditions.
DNA-bound phosphorus tied closely to microbial activity and soil health
The results showed that DNA-P typically makes up only a small fraction of the total organic phosphorus present in soil, but that its levels are closely linked to several other indicators of soil health, including soil pH, microbial biomass, organic matter content and the amount of phosphorus already available in dissolved form. That correlation suggests DNA-P could serve as a useful proxy indicator for how actively a soil’s microbial community is cycling nutrients, information that is currently difficult and expensive to measure directly. Researchers say a simpler, lower-cost test broadens the pool of laboratories and research programmes that can study this dimension of soil biology, particularly in regions with more limited research budgets, potentially accelerating global understanding of how to manage soils for better natural phosphorus cycling rather than relying solely on synthetic fertiliser applications.
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The practical payoff, if the method is validated further and eventually adapted for broader use, would be better-informed phosphorus fertiliser recommendations that account for how much of a soil’s phosphorus needs are already being met by microbial activity, reducing the risk of over-application. Excess phosphorus fertiliser that is not taken up by crops can run off into waterways, contributing to algal blooms and other water quality problems, making more precise phosphorus management a priority for both farm economics and environmental regulation in many countries.
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