Assessment of foliar-applied phosphorus fertiliser formulations to enhance phosphorus nutrition and grain production in wheat
Therese M. McBeath
A B D , Evelina Facelli A , Courtney A. E. Peirce A C , Viran Kathri Arachchige A and Michael J. McLaughlin A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Fertiliser Technology Research Centre, Soil Science, School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, The University of Adelaide, PMB 1, Waite Campus, Glen Osmond, SA 5064, Australia.
B CSIRO Agriculture and Food, Waite Campus, Locked Bag 2, Glen Osmond, SA 5064, Australia.
C Current address: South Australian Research and Development Institute, GPO Box 397, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia.
D Corresponding author. Email: therese.mcbeath@csiro.au
Crop and Pasture Science 71(9) 795-806 https://doi.org/10.1071/CP20241
Submitted: 9 July 2020 Accepted: 19 September 2020 Published: 6 October 2020
Journal Compilation © CSIRO 2020 Open Access CC BY-NC
Abstract
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.
Keywords: adjuvant, foliar uptake, isotopic tracer, phosphorus source.
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