Wheat development as affected by nitrogen and sulfur nutrition
Fernando Salvagiotti A C and Daniel J. Miralles BA Dep. de Agronomía, EEA Oliveros INTA, Oliveros, Argentina; present address: 243 Keim Hall, Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, PO Box 830915, Lincoln, NE, USA.
B Dep. de Producción Vegetal, Facultad de Agronomía, Univ. de Buenos Aires, Av. San Martín 4453, C1417DSE, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
C Corresponding author. Email: fsalvagiotti@correo.inta.gov.ar
Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 58(1) 39-45 https://doi.org/10.1071/AR06090
Submitted: 20 March 2006 Accepted: 12 September 2006 Published: 2 January 2007
Abstract
Sulfur (S) is one of the essential nutrients for crop growth, which is linked to nitrogen (N) in many physiological functions. The rate of leaf emergence (RLE) and final leaf number (FLN) determine the duration of the emergence (Em)–anthesis (Ant) period in wheat. Although some studies showed effects of N and phosphorus on RLE and the length of the Em–Ant period, no reports studied the effect of N and S interaction on the phasic development and the coordination of RLE with tillering appearance. A bread-wheat genotype was grown with 4 N and 2 S fertiliser rates during 2000 and 2001 in field plots. In addition, an experiment with 4 combinations of N and S rates (N0S0, N0S1, N1S0, and N1S1) was arranged in containers using nutrient solutions in 2001. Under field conditions, additional N and S did not modify the duration of the different phenological stages or the Phy value and FLN. However, the stronger N and S deficiency in the experiments conducted in containers affected RLE. A higher S rate delayed the period Em–Ant by 65° degree-days under no N restrictions, mainly by a delay in the duration of terminal spikelet (TS)–Ant period. Phyllochron (Phy) changed with crop ontogeny (inflection point occurred on 7th leaf) and N and S did not affect the timing when Phy changed; however, a lower N supply increased Phy in earlier leaves without effect of S on this trait. Treatments without S or N deficiency achieved the highest maximum tiller number (MTN) and the greatest tiller mortality rate (TMR); however, tiller number at maturity was 76% higher in this treatment with respect to the rest of the treatments because of the MTN attained. The number of tillers per emerged leaf was significantly increased when plants were grown under high N supply. Under no N restrictions, additional S increased the number of tillers per emerged leaf by 24%.
Additional keywords: phyllochron, tillering.
Acknowledgments
We thank Dr G. A. Slafer (ICREA, University of Lleida, Spain) and Dr Adam Liska (University of Nebraska-Lincoln) for critical comments on the manuscript, and Lorraine Osborne (University of Western Australia) for her comments on the design of nutrient solutions. This work was partially supported by INTA (Argentine Institute of Agricultural Research).
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