Foliar fertilization with phosphorus and potassium in red clover seed production on an acidic soil

Dalibor Tomić,Jasmina Knežević,Milomirka Madić,Vladeta Stevović,Mirjana Radovanović,Dragan Đurović,Aleksandar Simić

doi:10.5937/aaser2049051t

Abstract

A field trial with four red clover cultivars ('K-39', 'K-17', 'Una' and 'Viola') was conducted on a leached vertisol acid in reaction (pHH2O 4.8) to assess the effect of foliar treatment with phosphorus and potassium on seed yield and seed yield components. A single foliar application of phosphorus and potassium (P52K34) was made at the intensive growth stage during the second growth in the second year of cultivation. Seed yield and seed yield components were analyzed from the second growth in the second year of the experiment. Foliar treatment with phosphorus and potassium had a significant positive effect on seed yield and yield components in some red clover cultivars in some years. The most positive effect was recorded in 'K-17' and 'Viola'. The different effects of foliar-applied mineral fertilizers on the tested cultivars were the result of their phenotypic differences. Foliar treatment gave the best performance in 2011, when the climatic conditions were the most favorable for red clover growth and development. In general, the seed yield of red clover cultivars increased by 105 kg ha-1 under foliar fertilization. The positive effect of the foliar treatment with phosphorus and potassium was attributed to the need for these elements in many plant processes. The results showed that the foliar application of mineral fertilizers in red clover seed production on acid soils can be an acceptable practice under conditions favoring high yields.

Highlights

IntroductionIn Southeast Europe, red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) seed crops are commonly established on acidic soils, in which certain macro- and micronutrients are less available to plants
An obstacle to to the normal growth and development of plants of the family Fabaceae is a lack of available phosphorus (Gitari and Mureithi, 2003; Okalebo et al, 2009) and potassium (Abel et al, 2002; Mathur et al, 2006) in the soil.In Southeast Europe, red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) seed crops are commonly established on acidic soils, in which certain macro- and micronutrients are less available to plants
Phosphorus fertilizers are mobile in the form of orthophosphates, but 80% of the amount of phosphorus fertilizers applied is rapidly immobilized into other forms

Summary

Introduction

In Southeast Europe, red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) seed crops are commonly established on acidic soils, in which certain macro- and micronutrients are less available to plants. In such soils, phosphorus can be dominantly adsorbed onto aluminum and iron oxides and calcium hydroxides. Fixed phosphorus is gradually lost from the soil by leaching or through surface waters This leads to the pollution of the environment, water (Turner et al, 2002; Jianbo et al, 2011), especially in European and American areas intensively fertilized with phosphorus over long periods of time (Sharpley et al, 2005)

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