Factors Responsible for Poor Response of Corn and Grain Sorghum to Phosphorus Fertilization: III. Effects of Soil Compaction, Moisture Level and Other Properties on P‐Zn Relations

Abstract

AbstractGreenhouse experiments were used to study soil compaction, moisture level, soluble P and Zn, pH, organic matter and clay contents, K saturation and titratable alkalinity as these soil factors influenced P‐Zn relationships in corn. Some of the resulting observations help to explain why starter fertilizers containing P may on occasions cause depressions in plant growth.Fertilizer P applied in the row markedly reduced Zn concentration of corn. Increasing soil compaction and soil moisture level caused further depressions of Zn concentration. The combination of irrigation practice on newly graded (and compacted) land, especially when soil P is high, would seem to portend Zn deficiency problems.Soil K saturation also appears to have a decided influence on P‐Zn relations in the plant. The higher the percent K saturation of the soil, the less did applied P reduce plant utilization of Zn in these experiments.