Foliar versus soil phosphorus (P) application for improving P use efficiency in wheat and maize in calcareous soils. (7th May 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: , Rafiullah; Khan, Mohammad Jamal; Muhammad, Dost; Mussarat, Maria; , Huma; Adnan, Muhammad; Fahad, Shah; Wahid, Fazli; Arif, Muhammad; , Amanullah
• Is Part Of: Journal of plant nutrition. Volume 44:Number 11(2021)
• Page Start: 1598
• Page End: 1610
• Publication Date: 2021-05-07
• Subjects: calcareous soils -- foliar spray -- maize -- phosphorus use efficiency -- soil phosphorus -- wheat; Plants -- Nutrition -- Periodicals; Plants -- Effect of minerals on -- Periodicals; Deficiency diseases in plants -- Periodicals; 575.76
• DOI: 10.1080/01904167.2021.1871744
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0190-4167

Abstract

Abstract: Phosphorus (P) is the most deficient nutrient in agricultural soils after nitrogen. Additionally, exogenously applied P quickly transforms into less soluble compounds through various chemo-sorption reactions resulting in poor fertilizer use efficiency (15–25%). Therefore, this pot experiment was conducted to investigate the impact of foliar P (0, 45, 90 and 135 mM KH2 PO4 ) in conjunction with soil applied P (0, 10 and 20 mg P kg −1 ) for enhanced growth and P use efficiency of maize and wheat in calcareous soils. There was a linear increase in plant height and biomass both with the increasing application of soil and foliar P in both wheat and maize crop. However, the effect of foliar P was more pronounced in P deficient condition compared to 10 or 20 mg P kg −1 . Soil applied P at 10 and 20 mg P kg −1 increased plant dry biomass by 10.8 and 16.8% in maize and by 29.9 and 35.5% in wheat over control, respectively. Foliar P application didn't improve soil phosphorus. The interaction between soil and foliar P was significant ( p ≤ .05) showing that increase of either foliar or soil P application, tissue P content of both maize and wheat increased. In both season the higher foliar P solution resulted in higher P uptake though the increase in wheat were lower than maize. Therefore, the low recovery of soil P associated with poor soil characteristics could be corrected through its foliar application if administered at proper growth stage with suitable concentration strength and appropriate source.