Abstract
A pot experiment is described which investigated the effects of placing starter fertilizer, 1 cm beneath the seeds, on growth and nutrient uptake in lettuce seedlings at two soil temperatures (10°C and 20°C). At both temperatures the presence of starter fertilizer increased nutrient concentrations within the plants. At 20°C there was no growth response to the starter treatments. However, at 10°C there was a large response to the application of starter fertilizer. The best treatment was a combination of NH4H2PO4 and KH2PO4 which increased plant dry weight by 64% at 19 days from sowing. Nutrient deficiency caused a significant increase in the root length/shoot weight ratio of the control plants at 10°C. The responses to the starter were shown to be determined by the balance between the demand for nutrients from the shoots and the supplying power of the roots.
Published Version
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