I've never been a fan of fertilizer, and the permaculture movement is largely about supporting nature to create good soil, but it does make sense to acknowledge that the current infrastructure that is responsible for feeding the millions does rely on phosphorous.It is not merely the "current infrastructure of agriculture" that depends on phosphorus but all life on earth, i.e. the original infrastructure. It is a component of key molecules such as nucleic acids, phospholipids, and AdenosineTriPhosphate, and, consequently, plants cannot grow without a reliable supply of this nutrient. All organisms that eat plants also need phosphorus and we are included in this. It happens to be a nutrient that can be lost from soils and once it is gone it must be replaced. That would normally be done by cycling ANIMAL manures (especially from insect eating birds, and humans) back into the soil. If your soil doesn't have enough you will need to provide it. *Get a soil test.* The continents are "leaking" what they should be conserving and this loss generates vast dead zones in our oceans. Its for this reason that I have supplemented rock phosphates in my own and client's gardens. So far it's still relatively cheap despite substantial price increases.
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