I’ve heard that mychorrizae (a fungus) on the roots of plants
is extremely good at finding phosphorus. It’s typically much easier to get and keep mychorrizae in the soil and being beneficial if you don’t dump a bunch of NPK on the soil and disturb the soil a lot. That’s not the way farmers like to do things, so maybe that’s out.
Charcoal, or biochar, is apparently very good for soils. It was the key element of Terra Preta soils, which, due largely to the charcoal / biochar, have remained fertile for thousands of years. The charcoal (which is Carbon) has been in those soils for 1000 years. From a gardening standpoint, biochar is good because it holds on to water, holds on to nutrients, for a long time. The surface of the charcoal is very porous, providing places for bacteria, fungi, nutrients.
Really interesting. I hope the farmers out there will take note and do a little “experimenting” of their own. Thanks for the info! They truly hold our future in their hands.