Potential to select wheat genotypes with improved P utilisation characters

Abstract

Developing new wheat genotypes resistant to phosphate (P) deficiency and responsive to fertilizer P input will be beneficial to increase P use crop efficiency, especially on P deficient calcareous soils. With this objective, a pot experiment, based on a completely randomised design with three replications, was conducted using a P deficient calcareous soil. Twenty different bread and durum wheat genotypes were used, and phosphorus fertilizer as H3PO3 at levels of 0, 40, 80 mg P kg−1 was applied to the pots. After harvest, plant dry matter yield was recorded, and total P concentration in the tops of wheat plants was determined. Changes in the parameter of P efficiency index (EI) were related to plant genotypes and P levels. Differences were observed among the genotypes with regard to their effectiveness in P use under the experimental calcareous soil. Dry matter yields and EI were correlated for the individual wheat genotypes. Four classification terms, ER (efficient-responsive), ENR (efficient non-responsive), IR (inefficient responsive) and INR (inefficient non-responsive) were used to characterize the wheat genotypes both for their resistance to P deficiency and also for their responsiveness to fertilizer P input. Most durum wheat genotypes were charecterized as ENR, whereas most bread wheat genotypes were charecterized as INR and IR for this study. We conclude that Dağdaş-94 (T. aestivum), characterized as ER, and Kızıltan-91 (T. durum), Yılmaz-98 (T. durum), Ankara-98 (T. durum), Selçuklu-97 (T. durum), BDMM-98/11S (T. durum), characterized as ENR, are valuable in future breeding programmes.