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RESEARCH ARTICLE (Open Access)
Contents Vol 75(12)

Phosphorus buffering determines how soil properties and rainfall influence wheat (Triticum aestivum) yield response to phosphorus fertiliser

Craig A. Scanlan https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2199-9939 A B C * , Raj Malik D , Gustavo Boitt B E , Mark Gherardi F , James Easton E and Zed Rengel B
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, 75 York Road, Northam, WA 6401, Australia.

B The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia.

C SoilsWest, Murdoch University, 90 South Street, Murdoch, WA 6150, Australia.

D Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, 10 Dore Street, Katanning, WA 6317, Australia.

E CSBP, PO Box 345, Kwinana, WA 6966, Australia.

F Summit Fertilisers, 29 Ocean Street, Kwinana Beach, WA 6167, Australia.

* Correspondence to: craig.scanlan@dpird.wa.gov.au

Handling Editor: Roger Armstrong

Crop & Pasture Science 75, CP24295 https://doi.org/10.1071/CP24295
Submitted: 2 October 2024  Accepted: 3 December 2024  Published: 16 December 2024

© 2024 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND)

Abstract

Context

Current decision support systems (DSS) for phosphorus (P) fertiliser were developed using data from historical cropping systems. An understanding of how soil properties and rainfall influence wheat (Triticum aestivum) response to P fertiliser in current systems is required to optimise P management.

Aims

The aims of this study were to: (1) assess the soil properties that have the greatest influence on relative yield; (2) examine how rainfall conditions influence relative yield; and (3) examine whether there were interactive effects between rainfall and soil properties on relative yield.

Methods

Forty P rate-response field experiments were completed in Western Australia. Regression tree modelling, soil test calibration curves and the sliding window approach were used to examine relationships between soil properties or rainfall and relative yield.

Key results

Phosphorus buffering index (PBI) was important for determining the factors that influence relative yield. For sites with PBI 0–10 cm <56 (n = 30), regression tree modelling showed rainfall before sowing and soil pHCa were important factors (R2 = 0.59). For sites where PBI >56 (n = 10), relative yield was closely related to plant-available P at 0–10 cm and the r-value for the calibration curve was 0.95.

Conclusions

Rainfall and soil pHCa influence wheat response to P where PBI <56 is attributed to an accumulation of soil P after decades of fertiliser applications and the availability of stored soil P to crops.

Implications

Pre-sowing rainfall should be included in DSS so that grain producers can make informed, tactical decisions about P fertiliser applications for wheat at sowing.

Keywords: Colwell P, DGT-P, fertiliser, PBI, phosphorus, rainfall, soil analysis, wheat.

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