Zinc (Zn) deficiency is a well-documented worldwide problem for crops and humans. Although phosphorus (P) fertilizer application achieves high grain yield in intensive agricultural systems, it can reduce Zn availability in cereal grains. Therefore, a quantitative evaluation of the P–Zn antagonism is needed. A global meta-analysis of 51 publications with wheat, maize, and rice was performed to quantitatively analyze the effect of P application on grain Zn concentration. Phosphorus application reduced grain Zn concentration by 16.6% for wheat, 20.2% for maize, and 0% for rice. Phosphorus application did not affect soil available Zn concentration but, averaged across the three crops, significantly decreased root Zn concentration by 9.94%; the reduction was associated with a reduction in colonization of roots by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. Phosphorus application did not affect shoot-to-root or grain-to-straw ratios of Zn concentration, indicating that Zn translocation and remobilization within the plant were not reduced by P application. Especially for wheat and maize, the P–Zn antagonism was explained by a “dilution effect” and the suppression of Zn uptake efficiency by roots rather than by a suppression of translocation and remobilization. In addition to partially explaining the cause of the P–Zn antagonism, this is the first study using meta-analysis method to quantitatively demonstrate a P–Zn antagonism for Zn concentration in wheat and maize. Biofortification for increasing the grain Zn concentration may benefit from an increased understanding of how P application affects rhizosphere and root processes.

锌（Zn）缺乏症是一个对农作物和人类来说都有据可查的全球性问题。尽管在集约化农业系统中施用磷（P）肥料可实现较高的谷物产量，但它可以减少谷物中锌的利用率。因此，需要对P-Zn拮抗作用进行定量评估。对51个出版物进行了全球荟萃分析，包括小麦，玉米和水稻，以定量分析施磷对籽粒锌浓度的影响。施用磷可使小麦的谷物锌含量降低16.6％，玉米降低20.2％，水稻降低0％。施用磷肥不会影响土壤有效锌含量，但将这三种作物的平均含量均显着降低了根系锌含量，降低了9.94％。减少与丛枝菌根真菌的根部定植减少有关。施磷不影响锌浓度的茎根比或谷粒与稻草比，这表明磷的施用不会降低植物体内锌的转运和迁移。尤其是对于小麦和玉米，P-Zn拮抗作用是由“稀释效应”和根部对锌吸收效率的抑制而不是转运和迁移的抑制来解释的。除了部分解释P-Zn拮抗作用的原因外，这是第一项使用荟萃分析方法定量研究小麦和玉米中Zn浓度对P-Zn拮抗作用的研究。通过增加对磷肥如何影响根际和根系发育的了解，可以提高谷物中锌含量的生物强化能力。