HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Figures Only Full Text Full Text (PDF) A correction has been published Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Ziadi, N. Articles by Claessens, A. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Ziadi, N. Articles by Claessens, A. Agricola Articles by Ziadi, N. Articles by Claessens, A. Related Collections Phosphorus Nutrient Management Plant Nutrition

PHOSPHORUS MANAGEMENT

Relationship between Phosphorus and Nitrogen Concentrations in Spring Wheat

^a Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), Soils and Crops Research and Development Centre, 2560 Hochelaga Blvd., Québec, QC, Canada G1V 2J3
^b AAFC, 430 Gouin Blvd., St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, QC, Canada, J3B 3E6

^* Corresponding author (ziadin{at}agr.gc.ca).

Efficient management of P in crop production requires the development of tools to quantify the P status of plants. Our objectives were to establish the relationship between P and N concentrations of spring milling wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) during the growing season and, in particular, to determine the critical P concentration required to diagnose P deficiency. Shoot biomass and P and N concentrations were determined weekly and grain yield was measured at harvest in an experiment with four to six N rates conducted over 2 yr (2004 and 2005) at three sites with adequate soil P for growth each year. Both shoot P and N concentrations decreased with time as shoot biomass increased during the growing season. They also increased with N fertilization, suggesting that they are closely related. The relationship between shoot P and N concentrations under nonlimiting N conditions is described by a linear function (P = 0.94 + 0.107N, R² = 0.59, P < 0.001; n = 76) in which concentrations are expressed in g kg^–1 dry matter (DM). Under limiting N conditions (relative grain yield <0.80), the relationship was different (P = 1.70 + 0.092N (R² = 0.48; P < 0.001; n = 19) with greater P concentrations for a given N concentration. These relationships approximate the critical P concentration under both nonlimiting and severely limiting N conditions. This critical P concentration can then be used to quantify the degree of P deficiency during the current growing season.

Abbreviations: DM, dry matter • SEM, standard error of the means