ABSTRACT

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Opportunities for improved biological management of soil fertility have been debated

mostly among technical actors — agricultural producers, scientists, field agents, the

fertilizer industry, and more recently, land management specialists. While their

discussions have focused on whether or how to enhance the role of biological soil

components in constructing more sustainable and lower-cost approaches to fertility

management for food production, their assessments of technical options and advantages

have, either explicitly or implicitly, been responding to changes in economic and policy

contexts.