Growth and nutrition of legumes on a high country yellow-brown earth subsoil

Abstract

Abstract The phosphate response patterns of tropical and temperate legumes were compared in a glasshouse trial on a high country yellow-brown earth subsoil. Differences in growth and P response patterns could be explained by the known differences in tolerance of Al toxicity. The temperate legumes Lotus pedunculatus and Lupinus polyphyllus appeared to be able to tolerate Al toxicity as well as the torpicallegume Lotononis bainsu and more so than Trifolium semipilosum. However Trifolium repens was less tolerant than T. semipilosum. Of the species studied, Lupinus polyphyllus was the only one capable of reasonable growth where no P was added to the soil. The greater seed reserves of Lupinus appeared to contribute substantially to its greater growth and P uptake under conditions of low P input.