Impact of phosphorus fertilization in alleviating the adverse effects of salinity on wheat grown on different soil types

Abstract

Optimum fertilization management is an important technique to alleviate the adverse effects of salinity stress on plants. A pot experiment was conducted to evaluate the ameliorative role of inorganic phosphorus (P) and organic P sources on wheat grown under salt stress in three soil types deficient in available P. Wheat (Triticum aestivum L. cv. Shakha 93) was grown on alluvial, sandy and calcareous soils at salinity levels of 4, 8 and 12 dS/m of saturated paste extract (ECe) and supplied with a constant rate of 30 mg P2O5/kg soil as superphosphate (SP), cattle manure (CM) and a 1:1 mixture of SP and CM. The results revealed that plants grown on the sandy soil were more susceptible to the adverse effects of salinity than those planted on the alluvial one, especially at zero P. Plants grown on the calcareous soil were moderately affected. The varying soil type caused significant differences in the aboveground biomass and the uptake of N, K, P and Zn. It was obvious that P ameliorated wheat growth under salt stress, and this role was greater under moderate and high salinity. The increases in N, P, K and Zn uptake driven by P application were more conspicuous in the sandy and calcareous soils. The results also indicated that the combined application of inorganic and organic P sources surpassed that of either when applied alone on all soil types and salinity levels.