Assessment of foliar-applied phosphorus fertiliser formulations to enhance phosphorus nutrition and grain production in wheat

The ability to utilise foliar-applied phosphorus (P) as a strategy to increase the P status and yield of grain crops grown in dryland regions with variable climates is attractive. Several P formulations with varying pH, accompanying cations and adjuvants were tested for their effectiveness as foliar fertilisers for wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) plants, first under controlled and then under field conditions. Experiments under controlled conditions suggested that several formulations with specific chemistries offered promise with respect to wheat fertiliser-P recovery and biomass responses. These formulations were then evaluated in two field experiments, and although wheat grown at the sites showed substantive responses to soil-applied P, there was no significant grain-yield response to foliar-applied P. Following the limited responses to foliar-applied fertiliser in the field, we used an isotopic dilution technique to test the hypothesis that the variation in responses of wheat to foliar addition of P could be explained by a mechanism of substitution, whereby root P uptake is downregulated when P is taken up through the leaves, but this was proven not to be the case. We conclude that foliar P application cannot be used as a tactical fertiliser application to boost grain yield of wheat in dryland regions.

Download Full-text

Response of field-grown cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) to phosphorus fertilisation on alkaline soils in eastern Australia

Soil Research ◽

10.1071/sr04037 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 42 (8) ◽

pp. 913 ◽

Cited By ~ 39

Author(s):

C. G. Dorahy ◽

I. J. Rochester ◽

G. J. Blair

Keyword(s):

Field Experiments ◽

P Uptake ◽

Lint Yield ◽

Alkaline Soils ◽

Critical Limit ◽

Soil P ◽

Application Rates ◽

Eastern Australia ◽

P Application ◽

Fertiliser Application

Abstract. Seventeen field experiments were conducted on alkaline soils in eastern Australia between 1997 and 2000 to evaluate irrigated cotton response to phosphorus (P) fertilisation. Only 3 experiments demonstrated significant (P < 0.05) increases in crop P uptake or lint yield with P application. Comparison of several soil P tests revealed that Colwell (bicarbonate) P provided the best correlation with P uptake at early flowering and lint yield. Soil P may limit cotton growth where Colwell-P concentrations are <6 mg/kg. Soil P concentrations at most of the sites were well above this critical limit, so P fertiliser application was not required. Average P uptake at physiological cut-out and P removal in seed cotton was 21 and 15 kg P/ha, respectively. Apparent P fertiliser recovery was variable (0–67%) and may have contributed to the lack of response that was observed in 14 out of the 17 experiments. It is recommended that at least 40 kg P/ha be applied to soils with Colwell-P concentrations <6 mg/kg to increase soil P reserves. Application rates of at least 20 kg P/ha are recommended where Colwell-P falls between 6 and 12 mg/kg to maintain soil P fertility.

Download Full-text

Phosphorus nutrition of spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). 1. Effects of phosphorus supply on plant symptoms, yield, components of yield, and plant phosphorus uptake

Australian Journal of Agricultural Research ◽

10.1071/a96159 ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 48 (6) ◽

pp. 855 ◽

Cited By ~ 38

Author(s):

D. E. Elliott ◽

D. J. Reuter ◽

G. D. Reddy ◽

R. J. Abbott

Keyword(s):

Triticum Aestivum ◽

Grain Yield ◽

Field Experiments ◽

Stem Elongation ◽

Phosphorus Uptake ◽

Shoot Proliferation ◽

Triticum Aestivum L ◽

P Uptake ◽

Vegetative Development ◽

P Deficiency

The effects of phosphorus (P) deficiency on plant symptoms, yield, and components of yield of wheat (Triticum aestivum L. cv. Halberd), P uptake, and the distribution of dry weight within plants of variable P status were examined in 2 glasshouse and 5 field experiments. Apart from stunted growth and depressed tillering, the symptoms of acute P deficiency, most noticeable on older leaf blades, were equivocal; they were not always observed on acutely deficient plants and were absent on moderately deficient plants. In glasshouse experiments, the leaves of acutely deficient plants were spindly, erect, and dark green, whereas in field experiments, the leaves were pale green. In acutely P-stressed plants, leaf senescence, phasic development, and anthesis were delayed. The disorder restricted tiller development and therefore the rate of appearance and the number of leaves per plant. It depressed grain yield principally by reducing the number of fertile tillers. Severe P deficiency depressed shoot growth within 15 days of sowing and ultimately reduced plant height, root mass, and grain yield. In all experiments, shoot yield responses to applied P increased progressively until stem elongation (Zadoks Scale 30) and changed little thereafter. As a result, the external requirement for P (i.e. P level required for 90% maximum growth) increased with time during vegetative development in most experiments. Severe P deficiency also affected the distribution of dry matter between the roots and shoots and between the leaf blades and conducting tissues (sheaths and stems). Both of these responses intensified with advancing plant age. Treatment differences in P uptake in shoots also occurred early in growth and persisted until grain maturity. The partitioning of P between roots and shoots favoured P uptake or retention in the roots of P-deficient plants. Under conditions of acute and moderate P stress, the resources of the wheat plant appear to be directed towards maintaining root growth (at least initially), limiting and delaying shoot proliferation, and maximising the leaf : stem ratio. These regulations appear circumstantially to be adaptive mechanisms for conserving suffiient P to ensure the survival of at least 1 weak, but fertile, tiller on each plant.

Download Full-text

EFFECTS OF INCREMENTAL N FERTILIZATION ON GRAIN YIELD AND DRY MATTER ACCUMULATION OF SIX SPRING WHEAT (Triticum aestivum L.) CULTIVARS IN SOUTHERN MANITOBA

Canadian Journal of Plant Science ◽

10.4141/cjps90-006 ◽

1990 ◽

Vol 70 (1) ◽

pp. 51-60 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

D. T. GEHL ◽

L. D. BAILEY ◽

C. A. GRANT ◽

J. M. SADLER

Keyword(s):

Triticum Aestivum ◽

Grain Yield ◽

Spring Wheat ◽

Dry Matter ◽

Root Zone ◽

Temporal Distribution ◽

Triticum Aestivum L ◽

N Fertilization ◽

Yield Response ◽

Dry Matter Accumulation

A 3-yr study was conducted on three Orthic Black Chernozemic soils to determine the effects of incremental N fertilization on grain yield and dry matter accumulation and distribution of six spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars. Urea (46–0–0) was sidebanded at seeding in 40 kg N ha−1 increments from 0 to 240 kg ha−1 in the first year and from 0 to 200 kg ha−1 in the 2 subsequent years. Nitrogen fertilization increased the grain and straw yields of all cultivars in each experiment. The predominant factor affecting the N response and harvest index of each cultivar was available moisture. At two of the three sites, 91% of the interexperiment variability in mean maximum grain yield was explained by variation in root zone moisture at seeding. Mean maximum total dry matter varied by less than 12% among cultivars, but mean maximum grain yield varied by more than 30%. Three semidwarf cultivars, HY 320, Marshall and Solar, had consistently higher grain yield and grain yield response to N than Glenlea and Katepwa, two standard height cultivars, and Len, a semidwarf. The mean maximum grain yield of HY 320 was the highest of the cultivars on test and those of Katepwa and Len the lowest. Len produced the least straw and total dry matter. The level of N fertilization at maximum grain yield varied among cultivars, sites and years. Marshall and Solar required the highest and Len the lowest N rates to achieve maximum grain yield. The year-to-year variation in rates of N fertilization needed to produce maximum grain yield on a specific soil type revealed the limitations of N fertility recommendations based on "average" amounts and temporal distribution of available moisture.Key words: Wheat (spring), N response, standard height, semidwarf, grain yield

Download Full-text

The interaction between soil pH and phosphorus for wheat yield and the impact of lime-induced changes to soil aluminium and potassium

Soil Research ◽

10.1071/sr16274 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 55 (4) ◽

pp. 341 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Craig A. Scanlan ◽

Ross F. Brennan ◽

Mario F. D'Antuono ◽

Gavin A. Sarre

Keyword(s):

Grain Yield ◽

Soil Ph ◽

Field Experiments ◽

Wheat Yield ◽

Acid Soils ◽

Combined Effect ◽

Additive Effect ◽

Yield Response ◽

Response Curves ◽

The Impact

Interactions between soil pH and phosphorus (P) for plant growth have been widely reported; however, most studies have been based on pasture species, and the agronomic importance of this interaction for acid-tolerant wheat in soils with near-sufficient levels of fertility is unclear. We conducted field experiments with wheat at two sites with acid soils where lime treatments that had been applied in the 6 years preceding the experiments caused significant changes to soil pH, extractable aluminium (Al), soil nutrients and exchangeable cations. Soil pH(CaCl2) at 0–10cm was 4.7 without lime and 6.2 with lime at Merredin, and 4.7 without lime and 6.5 with lime at Wongan Hills. A significant lime×P interaction (P<0.05) for grain yield was observed at both sites. At Merredin, this interaction was negative, i.e. the combined effect of soil pH and P was less than their additive effect; the difference between the dose–response curves without lime and with lime was greatest at 0kgPha–1 and the curves converged at 32kgPha–1. At Wongan Hills, the interaction was positive (combined effect greater than the additive effect), and lime application reduced grain yield. The lime×P interactions observed are agronomically important because different fertiliser P levels were required to maximise grain yield. A lime-induced reduction in Al phytotoxicity was the dominant mechanism for this interaction at Merredin. The negative grain yield response to lime at Wongan Hills was attributed to a combination of marginal soil potassium (K) supply and lime-induced reduction in soil K availability.

Download Full-text

Improving Phosphorus Use Efficiency and Optimizing Phosphorus Application Rates for Maize in the Northeast Plain of China for Sustainable Agriculture

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su11174799 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (17) ◽

pp. 4799

Author(s):

Wenting Jiang ◽

Xiaohu Liu ◽

Xiukang Wang ◽

Lihui Yang ◽

Yuan Yin

Keyword(s):

Grain Yield ◽

Maximum Yield ◽

Application Rate ◽

P Uptake ◽

Plant P Uptake ◽

P Fertilizer ◽

P Rate ◽

P Application ◽

Phosphorus Application ◽

The Impact

Optimizing the phosphorus (P) application rate can increase grain yield while reducing both cost and environmental impact. However, optimal P rates vary substantially when different targets such as maximum yield or maximum economic benefit are considered. The present study used field experiment conducted at 36 experiments sites for maize to determine the impact of P application levels on grain yield, plant P uptake, and P agronomy efficiency (AEP), P-derived yield benefits and private profitability, and to evaluated the agronomically (AOPR), privately (POPR), and economically (EOPR) optimal P rate at a regional scale. Four treatments were compared: No P fertilizer (P0); P rate of 45–60 kg ha−1 (LP); P rate of 90–120 kg ha−1 (MP); P rate of 135–180 kg ha−1 (HP). P application more effectively increased grain yield, reaching a peak at MP treatment. The plant P uptake in HP treatment was 37.4% higher than that in P0. The relationship between P uptake by plants (y) and P application rate (x) can be described by the equation y = −0.0003x2 + 0.1266x + 31.1 (R2 = 0.309, p < 0.01). Furthermore, grain yield (y) and plant P uptake (x) across all treatments also showed a significant polynomial function (R2 = 0.787–0.846). The MP treatment led to highest improvements in P agronomic efficiency (AEP), P-derived yield benefits (BY) and private profitability (BP) compared with those in other treatments. In addition, the average agronomically (AOPR), privately (POPR), and economically optimal P rate (EOPR) in 36 experimental sites were suggested as 127.9 kg ha−1, 110.8 kg ha−1, and 114.4 kg ha−1, which ranged from 80.6 to 211.3 kg ha−1, 78.2 to 181.8 kg ha−1, and 82.6 to 151.6 kg ha−1, respectively. Economically optimal P application (EOPR) can be recommended, because EOPR significantly reduced P application compared with AOPR, and average economically optimal yield was slightly higher compared with the average yield in the MP treatment. This study was conducive in providing a more productive, use-effective, profitable, environment-friendly P fertilizer management strategy for supporting maximized production potential and environment sustainable development.

Download Full-text

Short- and Long-Term Effects of Lime and Gypsum Applications on Acid Soils in a Water-Limited Environment: 1. Grain Yield Response and Nutrient Concentration

Agronomy ◽

10.3390/agronomy10081213 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (8) ◽

pp. 1213 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Geoffrey C. Anderson ◽

Shahab Pathan ◽

James Easton ◽

David J. M. Hall ◽

Rajesh Sharma

Keyword(s):

Grain Yield ◽

Soil Layer ◽

Acid Soils ◽

Triticum Aestivum L ◽

Nutrient Concentrations ◽

Yield Response ◽

Long Term Effects ◽

Grain Yields ◽

Growing Seasons

Surface (0–10 cm) and subsoil (soil layers below 10 cm) acidity and resulting aluminum (Al) toxicity reduce crop grain yields. In South Western Australia (SWA), these constraints affect 14.2 million hectares or 53% of the agricultural area. Both lime (L, CaCO3) and gypsum (G, CaSO4) application can decrease the toxic effect of Al, leading to an increase in crop grain yields. Within the region, it is unclear if G alone or the combined use of L and G has a role in alleviating soil acidity in SWA, due to low sulfate S (SO4–S) sorption properties of the soil. We present results from three experiments located in the eastern wheatbelt of SWA, which examined the short-term (ST, 2 growing seasons), medium-term (MT, 3 growing seasons), and long-term (LT, 7 growing seasons over 10 years) effects of L and G on grain yield and plant nutrient concentrations. Despite the rapid leaching of SO4–S and no self-liming impact, it was profitable to apply G, due to the significant ST grain yield responses. The grain yield response to G developed even following relatively dry years, but declined over time due to SO4–S leaching. At the LT experimental site had received no previous L application, whereas, at the ST and MT sites, L had been applied by the grower over the previous 5–10 years. For the LT site, the most profitable treatment for wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grain yield, was the combined application of 4 t L ha−1 with 2 t G ha−1. At this site, the 0–10 cm soil pHCaCl2 was 4.6, and AlCaCl2 was greater than 2.5 mg kg−1 in the 10–30 cm soil layer. In contrast, at the ST and MT sites, the pHCaCl2 of 0–10 cm soil layer was ≥5.5; it was only profitable to apply G to the MT site where the soil compaction constraint had been removed by deep ripping. The use of L increases soil pHCaCl2, resulting in the improved availability of anions, phosphorus (P) in the LT and molybdenum (Mo) at all sampling times, but reduced availability of cations zinc (Zn) in the LT and manganese (Mn) at all sampling. The application of G reduced Mo concentrations, due to the high SO4–S content of the soil.

Download Full-text

Foliar Potassium Fertilizer Additives Affect Soybean Response and Weed Control with Glyphosate

International Journal of Agronomy ◽

10.1155/2012/461894 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 2012 ◽

pp. 1-10 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Kelly A. Nelson ◽

Peter P. Motavalli ◽

William E. Stevens ◽

John A. Kendig ◽

David Dunn ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Grain Yield ◽

Weed Control ◽

Field Experiments ◽

Leaf Tissue ◽

High Yield ◽

Yield Response ◽

Soil Test ◽

Potassium Fertilizer ◽

K Fertilizer ◽

Soil Test K

Research in 2004 and 2005 determined the effects of foliar-applied K-fertilizer sources (0-0-62-0 (%N-%P2O5-%K2O-%S), 0-0-25-17, 3-18-18-0, and 5-0-20-13) and additive rates (2.2, 8.8, and 17.6 kg K ha−1) on glyphosate-resistant soybean response and weed control. Field experiments were conducted at Novelty and Portageville with high soil test K and weed populations and at Malden with low soil test K and weed populations. At Novelty, grain yield increased with fertilizer additives at 8.8 kg K ha−1in a high-yield, weed-free environment in 2004, but fertilizer additives reduced yield up to 470 kg ha−1in a low-yield year (2005) depending on the K source and rate. At Portageville, K-fertilizer additives increased grain yield from 700 to 1160 kg ha−1compared to diammonium sulfate, depending on the K source and rate. At Malden, there was no yield response to K sources. Differences in leaf tissue K(P=0.03), S(P=0.03), B(P=0.0001), and Cu(P=0.008)concentrations among treatments were detected 14 d after treatment at Novelty and Malden. Tank mixtures of K-fertilizer additives with glyphosate may provide an option for foliar K applications.

Download Full-text

Crisphead Lettuce Cultivar Response to Fertilizer Phosphorus

Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science ◽

10.21273/jashs.117.5.721 ◽

1992 ◽

Vol 117 (5) ◽

pp. 721-724 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

R.T. Nagata ◽

C.A. Sanchez ◽

F.J. Coale

Keyword(s):

Total Mass ◽

Field Experiments ◽

P Uptake ◽

Yield Response ◽

Marketable Yield ◽

Fertilizer Recommendations ◽

P Fertilizer ◽

P Rate ◽

Growing Conditions ◽

The One

Four field experiments were conducted during 1988 to 1990 to evaluate the response to fertilizer P of six crisphead lettuce (Latuca sativa L.) cultivars grown on Histosols. There were season × cultivar interactions for total mass produced, marketable yield, and P uptake by lettuce. A significant yield response to fertilizer P was demonstrated during all four seasons. The performance of individual cultivars within a given season led to cultivar × P rate interactions for marketable yield. However, there were no significant P rate × cultivar interactions for total mass produced, P uptake, and marketable yield during the one season when growing conditions were near ideal. Calculated critical soil-test P values for both eastern and western lettuce types produced in Florida were all within error currently associated with P fertilizer recommendations for lettuce produced in Florida. Therefore, we conclude that no immediate change in P fertilizer recommendations is required for the new western-type lettuce cultivars produced on Histosols in Florida.

Download Full-text

Extending the duration of the ear construction phase to increase grain yield of bread wheat

Crop and Pasture Science ◽

10.1071/cp19074 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 70 (5) ◽

pp. 428 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Tina Botwright Acuña ◽

Richard Richards ◽

Debra Partington ◽

Angela Merry ◽

Brendan Christy ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Grain Yield ◽

Field Experiments ◽

Genetic Material ◽

Triticum Aestivum L ◽

Yield Component ◽

Specific Yield ◽

Phase Duration ◽

Vegetative Period ◽

Stage Of Development ◽

Diverse Field

We tested the hypothesis that lengthening the duration between the terminal spikelet stage of development and anthesis (referred to here as the construction-phase duration, CPD) will increase yield per unit area in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Field experiments were undertaken at 17 sites across the high-rainfall zone of south-eastern and Western Australia in 2014 and 2015. In total, 205 wheat genotypes were grown. Genetic material included a set of near-isogenic lines (NILs) varying in photoperiod and vernalisation alleles; commercial wheat cultivars and breeding lines; and lines selected from the Multiparent Advanced Generation Inter Cross population. As such, this is the only comprehensive dataset in which the effect of variation in CPD on grain yield in field plots has been evaluated in diverse field environments. Within an optimum anthesis window of 10 days, longer CPD significantly increased grain yield by >11% at two sites and tended to increase grain yield at another 11 sites (not statistically significant). The average yield increase across these sites was 5.5%. There was no consistent trend whereby a specific yield component was responsible for the increase across sites. We suggest that CPD can be extended by genetic selection and by sacrificing some of the vegetative period without any detriment to grain yield. We also found that CPD is increased by extending the duration from sowing to flowering through earlier sowing, which may be associated with increased yields in some environments. We conclude that, for the same anthesis date, a longer CPD may be beneficial in moderately favourable rainfed environments with a relatively even distribution of rainfall. We explore the basis of these relationships and implications for growers and plant breeders.

Download Full-text

Sulfur and nitrogen responses by barley and wheat on a sandy soil in a semi-arid environment

Crop and Pasture Science ◽

10.1071/cp20280 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 71 (10) ◽

pp. 894

Author(s):

M. K. Conyers ◽

J. E. Holland ◽

B. Haskins ◽

R. Whitworth ◽

G. J. Poile ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Grain Yield ◽

Sandy Soil ◽

Nutrient Content ◽

Triticum Aestivum L ◽

Arid Environment ◽

Yield Response ◽

Soil Tests ◽

Hordeum Vulgare L ◽

Eastern Australia ◽

Semi Arid

Soil testing guidelines for sulfur (S) under dryland cropping in south-eastern Australia are not well developed. Our objective was to assess the value of soil and tissue tests for S and nitrogen (N), because the two minerals frequently interact), in predicting S-deficient sites and hence increasing the probability of response to application of S (and N). Here, we report three proximal experiments in 2014–16 for barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) on a sandy soil in a semi-arid environment near Merriwagga in western New South Wales. The trials contained a factorial combination of four rates of each of applied N as urea and S as high-grade gypsum. Responses to S were obtained for dry matter (DM) quantity and nutrient content at flowering in 2014, but no grain-yield response was obtained in any year. DM response to applied S was obtained when the concentration of S in the DM was increased from 0.08% in barley and 0.09% in wheat without S application to 0.10–0.11% in both crops with S applied as gypsum. Because we obtained no grain-yield responses to applied S, the 0.10% S in grain was likely to have been adequate for both crops in these experiments. A pool of subsoil S was accessed during each season and this compensated for any DM deficiencies of S by the time of grainfill. Shallow soil tests (0–10 cm) for S can therefore indicate sufficiency but not necessarily deficiency; therefore, in grain-cropping areas, we recommend soil S tests on the same samples as used for deep N testing (to 60 cm) and that an S-budgeting approach be used following the soil tests. Furthermore, for marginal nutritional circumstances such as occurred in this study, the supporting use of N:S ratio is recommended, with values >17 in DM or grain likely to indicate S deficiency for both barley and wheat.

Download Full-text