Abstract
It is well documented that plant species differ in their ability to utilise phosphorus (P) from phosphatic fertilizers of differing water solubility. However, evidence for intraspecific differences is less available. The present study examined the response of four morphologically distinct white clover (Trifolium repens L.) cultivars, with diverse genetic backgrounds, to three contrasting phosphatic fertilizers. The cultivars Barbian, Grasslands Tahora, Grasslands Huia and Grasslands Kopu were grown in soil in pots with P supplied as either monocalcium phosphate (MCP), partially acidulated phosphate rock (PAPR) or North Carolina phosphate rock (NCPR), at seven P rates ranging from 0 to 700 mg P kg-1 of soil. Measurements were made of leaf number and weight, stolon length and weight, and root length and weight.
There was significant variation between cultivars in their leaf dry weight, shoot dry weight, proportion of stolon and root length response to P when supplied as different forms of P. Kopu, a large leaved cultivar, responded more rapidly in the upper part of the response curve than Barbian, Tahora or Huia when supplied with P in the form of MCP and NCPR, and reached maximum yield at a lower level of added P.
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© 1990 Kluwer Academic Publishers
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Caradus, J.R., Mackay, A.D., Wewala, G.S. (1990). Responses to phosphate fertilizers of differing solubilities by white clover cultivars. In: El Bassam, N., Dambroth, M., Loughman, B.C. (eds) Genetic Aspects of Plant Mineral Nutrition. Developments in Plant and Soil Sciences, vol 42. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-2053-8_11
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-2053-8_11
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
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