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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 60(2)

Phosphorus uptake in faba bean, field pea, and corn cultivars from different sources: preliminary studies of two options for organic farmers

Gunasekhar Nachimuthu A , Peter Lockwood A , Chris Guppy A B and Paul Kristiansen A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A School of Environmental and Rural Sciences, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2351, Australia.

B Corresponding author. Email: cguppy@une.edu.au

Crop and Pasture Science 60(2) 183-189 https://doi.org/10.1071/CP08103
Submitted: 30 March 2008  Accepted: 2 October 2008   Published: 27 February 2009

Abstract

Low soil phosphorus (P) availability commonly limits yield in Australian broadacre organic production systems where superphosphate fertiliser is not permitted, and alternative P nutrition strategies are sought. Glasshouse experiments were conducted to investigate the potential of faba beans (Vicia faba L.) (FB), or field peas (Pisum sativum L.) (FP), grown in acidic sandy loam or alkaline clay, to accumulate P, which could then be supplied to a subsequent crop as part of a green manure rotation or after harvest. Another experiment investigated differences in growth and P acquisition between corn (Zea mays L.) cultivars: Hycorn 424 (a modern hybrid), and four traditional cultivars used in organic production. The experiments were carried out under conditions of P stress and had rock phosphate (RP), poultry manure (PM), or single superphosphate (SP) applied at 50 kg P/ha. For FP, maximum P input to the soil from incorporation would occur at or after pod initiation. However, P uptake by both legumes in both soils from sparingly soluble RP was low, with fertiliser P-use efficiencies of 0–1.3% compared with 1.8–12.7% for PM and 6.1–9.9% for SP. In the corn experiment, P fertiliser source had much larger effects than cultivar on plant biomass and P uptake, with responses generally ranked SP > PM > > RP > Control. Hycorn 424 generally produced higher dry matter and P uptake than the traditional cultivars under all P treatments. The implications of these preliminary investigations for Australian broadacre organic agriculture are discussed.


Acknowledgments

We gratefully acknowledge financial assistance from the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC), the University of New England, and the Maurice Wyndham Memorial Trust, technical assistance from Leanne Lisle and Michael Faint, help from Craig Birchall and Joop Van Luer, and also thank Merv Riley (NSW DPI) for supplying seeds for the trial, and reviewers whose suggestions improved the final manuscript.


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