Abstract
Fertilization with high levels of phosphorus increases the risk of environmental pollution. Identification of critical values of P in soil (SOP) and in plant tissues (PiP) is essential for achieving the maximum wheat yield without P loss. The critical value is the value of P which gives the optimum yield; the response of crop yield to P fertilization above this value is not predictable or nil. Here, a 4-year field experiment was conducted to identify the SOP and PiP for achieving maximum yield of bread wheat using 11 rates of P fertilization (0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 75, 90, 105, 120, 135, and 150 kg P2O5 ha−1). The linear–linear and Mitscherlich exponential models were employed to estimate the PiP and SOP. The degree of phosphorus saturation (DPS) was used to assess the potential environmental risk; furthermore, phosphorus use efficiency (PUE) was also calculated under the studied fertilization levels. Phosphorus in soil and wheat plant was affected by the application rates and growing seasons. Increasing P fertilization rates led to gradual increases in soil and plant P. The SOP ranged between 21 and 32 mg kg−1, while the PiP ranged between 6.40 and 7.49 g kg−1. The critical values of P calculated from the Mitscherlich exponential models were 20% higher than those calculated from the linear–linear models. Adding levels of P fertilization ≥90 kg P2O5 ha−1 leads to higher potentials of P runoff and leaching, in addition, PUE decreased sharply under high P fertilization levels. The response of wheat yield to P fertilization in sandy calcareous soil is predictable below Olsen P values of 21 mg kg−1. Identification of critical P values for wheat production is of great importance to help policy makers improve P use efficiency and attain optimum wheat yield under eco-friendly environmental conditions by eliminating the accumulation of excess P fertilizers in soil and water.
Highlights
Wheat is the one of the most strategic cereal crops for ensuring global food security and is a major source for human food and livestock feed [1]
The results in our study reveal that critical P values in wheat tissue (PiP) ranged from 6.40 to 7.49 g kg−1, which are within the previously reported range of P in wheat plants (2 to 8.8 g kg−1 ) [27,54,55,56,57,58]
A powerful approach combined both plant tissue and soil analyses, employing both the linear–linear and the exponential Mitscherlich models. This was successfully implemented to identify the critical values of P in spring bread wheat grown in sandy calcareous soils
Summary
Wheat is the one of the most strategic cereal crops for ensuring global food security and is a major source for human food and livestock feed [1]. High growth and yield of wheat depend mainly on suitable agriculture management, especially soil fertility [2]. Expansion of wheat cultivation in newly reclaimed soils, which are widespread in arid and semiarid regions, is necessary to meet the rapid increase in human population. These are mostly calcareous sandy soils of low quality due to high calcium carbonate content and low nutrient availability due to high pH and unfavorable soil characteristics [1,2,3,4,5]. Scarcity of irrigation water resources, and high daily evapotranspiration are the most troublesome issues facing any agricultural project proposed for such areas [1,5]. In order to maximize economic revenues from the degraded calcareous sandy soils, there is an urgent need to identify and adopt effective fertilization management strategies
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