One of the major problems that potentially hinders the use of foliar fertilization as a tool to improve nutrient use efficiency is the lack of effective formulations. A phosphite based product, Nutri-phite (3% N, 8.7% P, and 5.8% K) was used as model phosphite formulation for foliar application in winter wheat (
Phosphorus is second only to nitrogen in importance as an essential crop nutrient. It is critical for plant growth, especially in the early jointing stages (GS 31 on Zadoks growth stage scale) and for enhancing grain yield and yield components [
Foliar fertilization of nutrients, especially P, in major cereal crops has been evaluated to improve nutrient use efficiency [
Many factors affect the absorption or uptake of foliar fertilizer. The first factor is the cuticle layers on the plant leaves. Foliar applied inorganic nutrients are absorbed through leaves in a two-step process in which they penetrate the cuticle (passive percolation or surface adsorption) and then pass through (active absorption) the cells below the cuticle layers [
Research showed that one of the potential hindrances for the use of foliar application as a tool to improve nutrient use efficiency is the lack of a good formulation that can be easily absorbed by cereal leaves [
The hypothesis of this study was the application of phosphite as Nutri-phite with and without the addition of soil applied P at 100, and 80% sufficiency would increase and/or improve growth, grain yield, and grain quality of hard red winter wheat. Thus, the objective of this study was to determine whether phosphite (Nutri-phite) application with or without preplant P (100 and 80% sufficiency) fertilizer at two growth stages (GS 13 to 14 and GS 49 to 53 growth stages) at the rate of 4 Lha−1 would increase hard red winter wheat grain yield and P uptake and concentration.
Five winter wheat field experiments were established over the fall of 2009/2010 and 2010/2011 in three locations. Two fields were chosen in 2009/2010, one at Perkins (35° 59′ 18.2394′′ lat and −97° 2′ 8.16′′ and another at Perry (36° 18′ 26.64′′ lat and −97° 5′ 34.0794′′ long) (Kirkland fine, mixed, superactive, thermic Udertic Paleustolls). In 2010/2011 the study was conducted at Perkins, Perry, and Morrison (36° 16′ 42.2394′′ lat and −97° 3′ 51.48′′). The soil at Perkins is Kirkland silt loam-fine, mixed, thermic Udertic Paleustoll and that of Perry is Norge fine-silty, mixed, active, thermic Udic Paleustolls Morrison, while that of Morrison is Grainola fine, mixed, active, thermic Udertic Haplustalfs. A total of 8 treatments were arranged in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Plot size was 6 m by 3 m with a 3 m alley between replicates.
Treatments encompassed one or two application of Nutri-phite at 2–4 leaf stage (GS 12 to 14, henceforth referred as Nutr1x) or 2–4 leaf and booting/flowering (GS 49 to 53, henceforth referred to as Nutr2x) with or without preplant N and P fertilizers. Table
Treatment structure and abbreviations of Nutri-phite and soil applied fertilizers in hard red winter wheat in 2009/2010 and 2010/2011 cropping seasons in Oklahoma.
Treatment Structure | Abbreviations |
---|---|
No fertilizer control | Nontreated |
Nutri-phite at 2–4 leaf stage† and booting/flowering | Nutr2x |
N at 100% crop need‡ and P at 100% Sufficiency | NP 100% |
P applied at 100% sufficiency | P 100% |
P applied at 100% sufficiency + Nutri-phite at 2–4 leaf stage | P 100% + Nutr1x |
P applied at 100% sufficiency + Nutri-phite at 2–4 leaf stage & booting/flowering | P 100% & Nutr2x |
N applied at 75% of crop need and P applied at 80% sufficiency | N 75% & P 80% |
N applied at 75% of crop need and P applied at 80% sufficiency + Nutri-phite at 2–4 leaf stage |
N 75% & P 80% & Nutr2x |
‡Nitrogen and phosphorus crop need was based on Oklahoma State University recommendation [
Soil samples were collected and analyzed from 0 to 30 cm (1 ft) for available N and P in the soil prior to initiation of the experiment. This information was used to calculate N and P fertilizer needed to achieve yield goal of 3 t ha−1 in the case of N and 100% and 80% sufficiency in the case of P [
Initial 0 to 30 cm (1 ft) soil test NO3-N, P, and K in hard red winter wheat grown field at five site locations in 2009/2010 and 2010/2011 winter wheat cropping seasons in OK.
Location | 2009/2010 | 2010/2011 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
NO3-N + NH4-N† | P | K | NO3-N + NH4-N | P | K | |
kg ha−1 | kg ha−1 | |||||
Perkins | 28 | 45 | 300 | 27 | 43 | 297 |
Perry | 34 | 39 | 295 | 25 | 42 | 302 |
Morrison |
|
— | — | 45 | 17 | 284 |
Duster winter wheat was no-till planted on November 6, 2009 at Perry and November 18, 2009 at Perkins. Endurance winter wheat was no-till planted October 8, 2010 at Perry and Morrison and on October 11, 2010 at Perkins. Duster was replaced with Endurance to avoid a potential confounding effect and yield loss that would have been incurred due to a new strip rust race. The two varieties share similar growth habit and maturity dates. In both years varieties were planted in 19.5 cm row spacing at the rate of 101 kg ha−1 at all sites. The first application of Nutri-phite was carried out in mid-March in each year at Perkins and late-March in Perry and Morrison areas in both years. The second Nutri-phite application was performed in late April to early May in each year. All dates corresponded to the actual growth stages specified in Table
Primary data included productive tillers per plant at harvesting stage, plant height (cm) at physiological maturity, grain yield (kg ha−1), grain P concentration (mg kg−1), and gain P uptake. Wheat was harvested at maturity by harvesting the center 2 m using a Massey Ferguson 8XP experimental combine. The combine was equipped with a Harvest Master automated weighing system (Harvest Master Inc., Logan, Utah). Grain subsamples from each treatment were collected for determining grain P concentration. The subsamples were dried in a forced air oven at 66°C, ground to pass a 140 mesh sieve (100 mm), and analyzed for total P using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (PerkinElmer, Waltham, MA) after a wet acid digestion [
The analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed that locations and treatments significantly affected grain yield, grain P concentration, and P uptake over the two years of the study (Table
Analysis of variance for grain yield (kg ha−1), grain P concentration (mg kg−1), and P uptake (kg ha−1) in winter wheat as affected by treatments in five fields at three locations (Perkins, Perry, and Morrison, OK), over 2009/10 and 2010/11.
Source of variation | Grain yield (kg ha−1) | Grain P concentration (mg kg−1) | P uptake (kg ha−1) | Productive tillers (no/main shoot) |
---|---|---|---|---|
Location |
*** |
** | ** | * |
Year | NS |
* | NS |
|
Treatments | * | * | * | * |
Location * treatments | NS | NS | NS | NS |
Year * treatments | NS | NS | NS | NS |
|
||||
|
0.53 | 0.74 | 0.73 | 0.76 |
Further, the ANOVA showed that no measured or calculated variables were influenced by treatment at Perkins in 2010/11. Results were influenced by soil conditions of each field (Table
Precipitation at closest weather stations to Morrison and Perry (Stillwater Mesonet station) and Perkins in 2009/10 and 2010/11 winter wheat growing seasons.
Oklahoma Mesonet temperature record did not show a trend out of the ordinary for all site-years (data not shown). The total precipitation during the winter wheat growing seasons was above the amount recommended for wheat in Oklahoma (575 mm) at Perkins and Stillwater in 2009/10. A lower than optimum precipitation at Perkins and Stillwater were recorded in the second growing season (507 and 440 mm, resp.). The distribution of precipitation during peak winter wheat growth stage (booting and grain filling) overlapped with low precipitation in March and April, relative to later months consistently across year-site.
Grain yield was significantly affected by treatments among the locations (Table
Mean winter wheat grain yield (kg ha−1) as affected by treatments at Perkins and Perry in 2009/2010 and at Perkins, Morrison, and Perry in 2010/2011.
Treatment | 2009/2010 | 2010/2011 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Perkins | Perry | Perkins | Morrison | Perry | |
Grain yield (kg ha−1) | |||||
Nontreated | 1049 | 1429 | 698 b | 873 c‡ | 471 c |
NP 100% | 1314 | 1622 | 1413 a | 1355 abc | 1138 a |
Nutr2x† | 1270 | 1277 | 1305 a | 1498 ab | 434 c |
P 100% only | 1178 | 1602 | 1191 a | 1744 a | 560 cb |
P 100% + Nutr1x | 1420 | 1113 | 1527 a | 1497 ab | 481 c |
P 100% + Nutr2x | 1290 | 1123 | 1321 a | 1025 bc | 525 c |
N 75% & P 80% only | 1231 | 1274 | 1236 a | 1289 abc | 969 ab |
N 75% & P 80% + Nutr2x | 867 | 1406 |
|
1809 a | 1223 a |
Duncan's multiple range |
|
NS | 490 | 506 | 439 |
Although there was no significant effect of treatment on grain yield at Perkins in 2009/10, grain P concentration was significantly affected by treatments (Table
Mean winter wheat grain
Treatment | 2009/2010 | 2010/2011 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Perkins | Perry | Perkins | Morrison | Perry | |
Grain yield (kg ha−1) | |||||
Nontreated |
|
4450 | 3365 a | 2605 | 3485 abc |
NP 100% | 3280 b | 3675 | 3405 a | 2770 | 2545 d |
Nutr2x† | 4095 a | 4355 | 3625 a | 2915 | 2830 bcd |
P 100% only | 3372 ab | 3055 | 3090 a | 2585 | 3470 abc |
P 100% + Nutr1x | 3627 ab | 3825 | 3520 a | 2405 | 3650 ab |
P 100% + Nutr2x | 3232 b | 4245 | 2940 a | 2735 | 3950 a |
N 75% & P 80% only | 3475 ab |
|
3475 a | 2785 | 3180 abcd |
N 75% & P 80% + Nutr2x | 3710 ab | — |
|
2935 | 2765 cd |
Duncan's multiple range | 731 | NS |
689 | NS | 830 |
The results of P uptake (kg ha−1) showed that there was no significant effect of treatment at Perry site in both 2009 and 2010 (Table
Mean winter wheat P uptake (kg ha−1) as affected by treatments at Perkins and Perry in 2009/2010 and at Perkins, Morrison and Perry in 2010/2011.
Treatment | Perkins | Perry | Perkins | Morrison | Perry |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
P uptake (kg ha−1) | |||||
Nontreated | 3.36 ab | 4.39 | 2.24 | 2.08 b‡ | 2.00 |
NP 100% | 4.66 a | 6.02 | 5.31 | 3.69 ab | 3.17 |
Nutr2x† | 4.98 a | 4.74 | 4.21 | 3.89 ab | 1.91 |
P 100% only | 4.03 ab | 4.12 | 4.14 | 4.52 ab | 2.32 |
P 100% + Nutr1x | 4.40 a | 4.19 | 4.04 | 3.10 ab | 1.79 |
P 100% + Nutr2x | 3.29 ab | 5.28 | 2.03 | 2.92 ab | 2.12 |
N 75% & P 80% | 1.87 b |
|
2.00 | 3.61 ab | 2.48 |
N 75% & P 80% + Nutr2x | 2.76 ab | — | 3.5 | 4.91 a | 2.12 |
Duncan's multiple range | 2.20 | NS |
NS | 2.51 | NS |
Similar to Perkins in 2009/2010, at Perry in 2010/11 the application of Nutri-phite with and without preplant fertilizer did not significantly increase P uptake. Over all, using Nutri-phite with and without preplant fertilizer did not increase P uptake compared to only preplant fertilizer application (both N and P). However, averaged over locations that showed significant treatment effect, Nutri-phite application improved grain P uptake compared with the nontreated check. In all locations in 2010/11 rainfall during the peak crop growth was suboptimal (Figure
Tillers per plant were significant at Perkins (
At Perry in 2009/10, Nutr2x, NP 100%, and N 75% and P 80% + Nutr2x had the greatest number of tillers. The Nutr2x treatment had 1.2 and 0.5 more tillers than the P 100%, N 75%, and P 80% treatments, respectively (Figure
Winter wheat productive tiller number as influenced by treatments at Perkins and Perry in 2009/2010. Within each site, bars followed by the same letter are not statistically different using Duncan’s multiple range test (Duncan’s MRT).
Nutri-phite (Nutr1x and Nutr2x) with and without preplant fertilizer in all fields did not affect grain yield of wheat, but there was a significant effect on grain P concentration. Grain yield determined by ANOVA was marginally increased by the combination of Nutri-phite (Nutr1x and Nutr2x) with N 75% and P 80%, but the 100% preplant P treatment was not consistent in grain yield. There was significant difference between Nutri-phite (Nutr2x) and check treatment (nontreated) in grain yield. Nutri-phite (Nutr2x) resulted in more grain P concentration compared to nontreated and NP 100% treatment. Likewise, combining Nutri-phite (Nutr1x and Nutr2x) with P 100% treatments resulted in increase in grain P concentration. Combined over three year-locations, Nutri-phite increased grain P concentration by 11.6%. The P uptake of grain was increased by Nutri-phite application, especially with Nutr2x compared to nontreated. Nutri-phite treatments resulted in more P uptake than preplant applied P. This study demonstrated that the application of Nutri-phite treatments as foliar P fertilizer might enhance and/or improve the wheat grain yield and grain quality, especially under good environmental conditions. Additionally, future foliar P fertilization should focus on the amount of foliar fertilizer applied and the best time of the crop life cycle to get the benefit of foliar application. Our results conform to previous finding that foliar P should be used to supplement soil applied P to improve wheat quality as demonstrated through high grain P concentration.
The mentioning of a trade name or commercial product in this paper does not constitute endorsement or recommendation of this product by the authors.
The authors declare that there is no conflict of interests regarding the publication of this paper.