STUDIES ON PHOSPHORUS NUTRITION OF TRITICALE

DISSERTATION SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT DF THE REQUIREMENTS FDR THE DEGREE OF

Master of Philosophy IN

BOTANY

NASREEN FATIMA

DEPARTMENT DF BOTANY ALIGARH MUSLIM UNIVERSITY

ALIGARH 1987

* 1 ' - * ^ Ot".

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DS1093

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I feel pleasure to express my heartfelt thanks to

Dr. Arif Inam, Lecturer, Department of Botany, Aligarh Muslim

University, Aligarh, for inspiring me to undertake research,

suggesting the problem supervising the research work, and help­

ful discussion in preparing this dissertation, I am equally

thankful to Prof. M.M.R,K.. Afridi for constructive criticism,

encouragement and helpful suggestions.

Thanks are also due to the Chairman of the Department

for providing various research facilities,

I owe a debt'of gratitude to Drs. Samiullah, Aqil Ahmad,

M, Aslam Parvaiz and f, Mohammad for the he l'pful suggestions

during the preparation, of this manuscript, "

I place on record my-sincere thanks to my colleagues

Drs, (Mrs,) Najma Pervaiz, (Mrs,) Akhtar Inam, Masood Akhtar,

M.M,A, Khan, Shamim Akhtar Ansari, 2/ioinuddin and Messrs Saood

Husain, Mujahid A, Khan, Nafees A, Khan, Faizan A. Khan, Shahid

Umar, Ikramul Haque, S,R,M. Ata, Wdss Atiya Khatoon Zaidi and

Mrs, Shama Anwar for their co-operation from time to time.

The help extended by my friends. Mors. Nasreen Harris,

Miss Syeda Khatoon and Naheed R, Usmani can not be ignored.

I would fail in my duty if I do not mention the

sustained encouragement given by my parents, uncle, brothers

and sisters,

(Nasreen Fatima)

C O N T E N T S

p a g e

1. INTRODUCTION

2. REVIEW OF LITERATURE

3 , PROPOSED STUDY 22

4, REFERENCES 31

5. APPENDIX - I

6. APPENDIX - II

C H A P T E R - 1

I N T R O D U C T I O N

INTRODUCTION

Cereal grains are the principal food of the majority of the

people in the world. About seventy to eighty per cent of the total

calories in our daily diet is obtained from cereals as they are a

rich source of carbohydrates, proteins and essential amino acids.

Cereals have always played a key role in man's economic and social

development. Therefore, attempts have been made from time to time

to improve their yield and quality. In developing countries,like

India,it has become extremely important to increase the per capita

crop productivity because of the alarming situation created by over­

population and decrease in arable land due to urbanisation and

industrialisation.

Farm scientists are trying to increase the productivity of

cereals in order to meet the growing demand. They are insisting

upon application of optimal nutrient doses to existing varieties of

cereal crops and are also trying to evolve,with considerable success^

high yielding cultivars through plant breeding and genetic engineering

Triticale is the best example of a successful inter-generic

cross, its parents being wheat (Triticum) and rye (Secale), it

combines in itself the high protein and lysine contents, disease

resistance and ruggedness of its parents (Hulse and Spurgeon, 1974),

Although earlier triticales gave low yields, mainly due to poor

fertility, the recently evolved cultivars have started proving at par

with the highest yielding cultivars of present day wheats. These

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characters have made triticale all the more interesting because it

can be grown even in such adverse climatic and soil conditions under

which traditional cereal crops fail to grow normally. Thus, triticale

is gaining acceptance by growers and consumers as the first man-made

commercial cereal and it seems likely that, in future, it will compete

successfully with the traditional cereals. At present triticale is

grown in some 32 countries and is occupying over 1 million hectares

of land around the world (Anonymous, 1986). Some of the triticale

growing countries are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, chile, and

Hungary, Mexico, South Africa, Spain./U.S.A. In our country too,

interest is being developed in its cultivation and one variety

(TL-419) has already been released for Punjab farmers.

Among the nutrient elements required for the proper growth

and development of plants, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium play

key roles. They are removed generally in larger quantity than the

other essential elements and, therefore, the soil should be replenishec

regularly for successful crop production (Bould, 1963). Providing

proper doses of nutrients in order to exploit the full genetic

potential of new high yielding crops has naturally become part and

parcel of farming and has ushered in the "green revolution".

Considerable research work has been done in India on the

fertiliser requirements of various crops. As a result, optimum

nutrient doses for suitable high yielding cultivars of some cereal

crops have been worked out and recommended for their cultivation in

particular agro-climatic regions of the country, with regard to

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mineral nutrition of triticale, pioneering research has been

conducted at Aligarh (U.P.) for about a decade by Afridi, samiullah,

Inam and their associates (Afridi eib a_l., 1977; inam, 1978; Abbas,

1980; Inam et_ a]^. , 1981 b; Abbas et a_l. , 1983; Ashfaq et aa. , 1983;

Alvi, 1984; Moinuddin and At a/ 1985; Moinuddin et al., 1985;

Ashfaq, 1986; Moinuddin, 1986). In addition to other aspects, they

have determined the optimiam dose and best mode of application for

various cultivars of triticale so as to ensure high productivity and

improved quality.

The role of phosphorus as a macro-nutrient essential for

proper growth, development, flowering, fruiting and maturity of the

crop, can not be over-emphasised. However, no in-depth study has

been conducted on the phosphorus requirement, particularly in the

case of new high-yielding cultivars. One of these, namely

Delfin, has good grain quality and has outyielded the local wheat checl

at Aligarh (Moinuddin, 1986).

It has, therefore, been decided to conduct the following

field trials on this cultivar of triticale so as to test the efficacy

of various sources of phosphorus applied as supplemental foliar spray

at appropriate stages of growth. The criteria of performance of the

crop will be growth and yield characteristics determined at various

stages of growth.

The aims and objects of each experiment are summarised

below:

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Experiment - 1

This f ie ld t r i a l has already been conducted in the ' r a b i '

season of 1986-87. The experiment was designed to compare the e f fec t

of spray, at pos t -anthes is s t age , of equal quan t i t i e s (2 leg P/ha)

of th ree sources of phosphorus on the y ie ld parameters of t r i t i c a l e

cv . Delfin grown with a uniform basa l dose of 150 kg N, 30 "kg P and

3 0 "kg KA»a. The main aim of the* experiment was t o se lec t the most

e f f i cac ious source of phosphorus for the purpose of spray t o of fse t

t h e loss of basal phosphorus due t o f ixa t ion in the s o i l . The data

have already been analysed s t a t i s t i c a l l y and are given as Appendix-n

a t the end of t h i s d i s s e r t a t i o n .

Experiment - 2

The aim of t h i s f i e l d t r i a l s t o be conducted in the ' r a b i '

season next year , wil l be t o study the ef fec t of spray of 2 "k PAia

i n the form of the best source es tab l i shed in Experiment-1, a t one,

two or th ree stages of growth of t r i t i c a l e c u l t i v a r Delfin on the

y i e l d parameters so as t o s e l ec t the most appropriate stage (s) for

t he purpose of the f o l i a r spray of phosphorus on p lants grown with a

uniform basal dose of 150 "kg N, 30 "kg P and 30 "kg KAia.

Experiment - 3

This l a s t f ie ld t r i a l w i l l be conducted to study the e f fec t

of spray (at the best stage (s) es tab l i shed in Experiment-2) of

2 kg PA»a/ taking i t s best source (Experiment-1) on the y i e ld

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p a r a m e t e r s of t r i t i c a l e c v . D e l f i n , grown w i t h f u l l (30 kg p A i a ) /

2 / 3 (20 kg PAia) and 1/2 (15 kg P / h a ) of t h e b a s a l p h o s p h o r u s dose^

a p p l y i n g 150 kg N and 30 kg K/ha u n i f o r m l y . The aim of t h e t r i a l

w i l l be t o t e s t i f a p p r e c i a b l e q u a n t i t i e s of p h o s p h a t i c f e r t i l i s e r

c o u l d be saved w i t h o u t s a c r i f i c i n g y i e l d by s p r a y i n g a n o m i n a l

q u a n t i t y of t h e n u t r i e n t .

C H A P T E R - 2

R E V I E W O F L I T E R A T U R E

C O N T E N T S

p a g e

2.1 Brief h is tory of plant n u t r i t i o n 6

2.2 Role of phosphorus in plant n u t r i t i o n 7

2.3 Basal phosphorus requirement of t r i t i c a l e 8

2.4 Fol iar appl icat ion of ni trogen and 16

phosphorus

REVIEW OF LITERATURE

2.1 Brief history of plant nutrition

The history of nutrition of plants is as old as human

civilisation itself. The first work regarding the factors that

control plant growth can be traced back to Cato (234-149 B.C.)

who was one of the earliest Roman agriculturists to emphasise the

importance of ploughing and manuring.

After a lapse of a few centuries, Glauber (1656) noted the

useful effects of saltpeter on plant growth. Later, In 1755, Home

reported that application of not only saltpeter but also of Epsom

salts and potassium sulphate led to increased growth.

However, real scientific research and development of

inorganic nutrition of agricultural crops started only with the

beginning of the 19th century, in 1804, de saussure analysed

plant ash and came to the following conclusions:

(a) that the elements of water are fixed in the plant at the same

time as the carbon,

(b) that there is no normal nutrition of the plant without the

uptake of nitrates and mineral matters,

(c) that the nitrogen in the plant ccxnes not from the air but from

the soil (Bould, 1963),

The time was specially ripe for developments in plant

nutrition In western Europe after the Napoleonic wars. During this

period the prices of grains soared and consequently borderline lands

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were brought under cultivation. in the depression that followed,

the disturbed economy and unbalanced agriculture of western Europe

was revived by the birth of the fertiliser industry. The population

increase, which was stimulated by the industrial revolution, placed

even greater demands on agriculture. The names of Boussingault in

France, Lawes and Gilbert in Britain and Lie big in Germany may be

mentioned as pioneers of the 19th century trend towards efficient

agriculture through the knowledge of manurial and crop rotation

practices that would give the best response in terms of plant growth

(Steward, 1963).

The beginning of the 20th century marked the intensification

of research on soil solution and ion exchange in soils. Cameron

(1911) proposed the fundamental ideas about soil solution. Later,

Burd (1918) gave the concept of the "supplying power" of the soil.

Hissink (1924) confirmed the findings of Burd in relation to

exchange, in the later half of the present century^emphasis

shifted from soil analysis to plant analysis and several techniques

have been published to determine the percentage of different essen­

tial elements,especially nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium

(Lundegordh, 1951 ; Russell, 1961) and to use it as a reliable

tool to ascertain the nutrient status of the soil.

2,2 Role of phosphorus in plant nutrition

Nutrients are necessary for maintenance of the physical

organisation and activities of living cells by virtue of their

function in the generation of energy, building and repair of

protoplasm and regulation of metabolic processes (Nason and

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McElroy, 1963). Among these, phosphorus (and nitrogen) are

structural nutrients of the plants. The main role of phosphorus

in the metabolism of plants is summarised below:

The plants absorb phosphoms from the soil as monovalent

(H2PO7) or divalent (HPoT") anions (Epstein, 1973). It is a

constituent of lipoproteins, nucleic acids, nucleoproteins and

several co-enzymes e.g., TPP, ATP, NADPHH etc. (Devlin, 1981).

Phosphorus plays important roles in the physiological

processes of plants, it increases the growth of plant roots which

can feed the plant more efficiently. It also enhances the develop­

ment and maturity of cereal crops.

Phosphorus deficiency is sometimes confused with that of

nitrogen,e.g,, premature leaf fall and purple or red anthocyanin

pigmentation. Unlike nitrogen phosphorus deficiency shows dead

necrotic areas on the leaves, petioles or fruits. Stunted growth

of plants and dark to blue-green coloration of the leaves may also

be observed,

2,3 Basal phosphorus requirement of triticale

Quite a good number of references have come up with regard

to nitrogen application. However, it must be admitted that the trials

on phosphorus requirement and its application in the form of foliar

spray are few. A perusal of the following paragraphs will confirm

this assertion.

At Ludhiana (Punjab, India), Anand (1972) conducted a

varietal trial taking ten triticale cultivars by applying a uniform

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dose of fertiliser at the rate of 29,5 kg P (and 134 kg N)Aia,

He noted that four cultivars of triticale (Armadillo-211, Bronco-90,

Annadillo-1524, ArTtiadillo-147) out yielded the two wheat checks as

well as the remaining triticale cultivars. The maximum grain yield

was recorded in the case of Armadillo-211 (42.77 qAia) and the

minimum in Bruin-3 4 (9,72 q/ha).

Chauhan and Bajpai (1972), while working at high altitudes

of Kumaon Hills (U,P,, India), applied 30 kg P (with 40 kg N and

2 0 kg K)Aia on acidic soil without any irrigation. They reported

that Armadillo PPV-13 gave the maximxam grain yield (29,9 q/ha) out

of eleven triticale cultivars which was more than six times of wheat

cultivar Kalyansona (4.7 qAia).

Gerek and Kutluk (1972) performed an experiment at Eskisehir

(Turkey), applying 26,4 kg/ha phosphorus (with 30 kg/ha nitrogen)

and observed that triticale cultivars Bronco-90 and Armadillo-133

gave the highest grain yield. Cut of the four cultivars of wheat

taken as checks, three cultivars gave lower grain yield than

Bronco-90, However, they noted that wheat cultivar Pitic-62 out-

yielded all the triticale cultivars,

Nasr and Guiragossian (1972), working in Lebanon, applied

3 5 kg P (in combination with 18,1 kg N)/ha and reported that most

of the triticale cultivars gave higher yield than the local check

Najah, Except Pitic-62 (wheat), the other four cultivars of wheat,

were surpassed by Armadillo-136, Armadillo-130, Rosner, Armadillo-14'

and Armadillo-157 cultivars of triticale.

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Acosta (1973), in Morocco, tested twenty five triticale

and wheat cultivars applying a uniform dose of 57 kg P (with 99,5

kg N and 39 kg K)/ha, He reported that Badger PM-118 recorded the

maximum grain yield, i.e.,36.2 qA»a, even surpassing all the wheat

cultivars. It was closely followed by another triticale cultivar

Badger PM-112. it may be pointed out that in this study pitic-62,

wheat, generally considered a good yielder, produced only 22,8 qAia,

Andrascik and Matusov (1973) compared the productivity of

one cultivar of triticale with four cultivars of wheat at Nitra

(Czechoslovakia), The fertiliser dose was given in various combi­

nations of 105 or 150 kg p/ha with 70 or 100 kg N A a and 125 or

180 kg KAia. They observed that maximum grain yield was given by

150 kg P, with 100 kg N/ha and 180 kg K A a . The highest yield

(38,7 qAia) was given by Mironovka (wheat) which was 8 q higher

than those of the other three wheat cultivars,with the triticale

proving the lowest yielder in this trial.

Kiss (1973) at Keckemet (Hungary), applied 30 kg P, 150 kg N

and 29 kg KAia and noted that grain yield of all the triticale

cultivars tested was higher than that of the local cultivar Llbellul]

and three other cultivars of wheat. He reported that Armadillo T-90S

yielded 54,2 q/ha and proved the best among all the cultivars of

triticale and wheat.

Reddy and Lai (1976) at Pantnagar (U.P,, India), studied

variation in triticale and wheat cultivars under unirrigated condi­

tions by the application of phosphorus (30 kg P-O-Aia) in combinatioi

with nitrogen (50 kgAia), Among the triticale cultivars, highest

- 1 1

gra in y ie ld was noted in Armadillo PM-112 (20.89 q /ha) , followed by

Bronco-9 0. However, wheat cv. C-3 0, proved the best among a l l

c u l t i v a r s recording an y ie ld of 23.43 qA»a).

Andrascik and Licko (1977) studied the effect iveness of

n i t rogen , phosphorus and potassium with three cu l t i va r s of wheat,

two of rye and one of t r i t i c a l e a t Nitra (Czechoslovakia). They

appl ied three r a t e s of n i t rogen, phosphorus and potassium (60:78:72.

100:130:120 and 140:182:168 kg/ha) with chlorrnequat. They noted

annual y i e lds for wheat c u l t i v a r s upto 57.0 qAia and for rye c u l t i ­

v a r s upto 49.0 q/ha. The grain y ie lds of t r i t i c a l e were poor and

averaged 28.0 q/ha for a l l n i t rogen, phosphorus and potassium combi­

n a t i o n s . Rye cu l t iva rs gave the highest y ie ld with the lowest dose

of n i t rogen, phosphorus and potassium, higher ra tes proving

de t r imen ta l .

At Aligarh (U.P., I n d i a ) , inam (1978) observed the e f f ec t o'f

nine combinations of n i t rogen, phosphorus and potassium on thjree

t r i t i c a l e cu l t ivars (Armadillo PPV-13 , Armadillo-Tl5 and Badger

PM-119). The optim\jm f e r t i l i s e r ra te was noted to be 120 kg N +

6 0 kg PjO- + 60 kg K20/ha. He noted tha t Armadillo PPV-13 gave

higher y i e ld than the o ther two c u l t i v a r s .

Tahir (1978) studied the ef fec t of f e r t i l i s e r app l i ca t ion

on wheat, t r i t i c a l e and bar ley a t Islamabad (Pakis tan) . The be s t

wheat c u l t i v a r yielded 15,2 q/ha without f e r t i l i s e r app l i ca t ion

and the y ie ld was increased to 22.3 q/ha with the app l i ca t ions of

60 kg N + 60 kg P/ha, He noted tha t the optimum nitrogen dose was

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168 IcgAia and that phosphorus gave best results when applied at

first irrigation. The best triticale yielded 46,9 qA^a and barley

20.0 q A a .

Working at Huntsville (Alabama, U.S.A.), Bishnoi and Hughes

(1979) conducted an extended study from 1973-75 on triticale, rye and

wheat. They applied 40 kg each of N, ^2^5 ^"^ K20/ha at presowing,

in addition, they also applied 30 kg N/ha after each cut and also in

late February or early March. in a two-fold study made on forage

taken at four cuts and grain yield (as well as grain quality), they

recorded the average grain yields as 17,1, 12,4, 14.9, 15,5 and

10,5 q/ha on uncut plots for winter cultivars (triticale) inter­

mediate cultivars (triticale), rye and wheat respectively. Triticale:

averagedl4.4 per cent protein in the grain, while wheat and rye

averaged 13.7 per cent and 13,2 per cent respectively.

Cherglnets et al , (1980) performed two field experiments

during the years 1976 and 1977 in Moscow (U.S.S.R,), In 1976, they

applied 90 kg N (in two splits) + 90 kg P20^ + 90 kg K2O or 180 kg N

(in three splits) + 120 kg P«0 + 90 kg K20/ha, They recorded an

increase in the grain protein content from 13,3 per cent without

nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium to 14,4 per cent and 15,6 per

cent respectively in triticale, while in wheat the Increase was

from 10,9 per cent (without nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium) to

13,4 per cent and 14,1 per cent respectively. During the following

year (1977), the increase in protein content was from 12,6 per cent

(without nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium) to 13,4 per cent and

14.1 per cent respectively in triticale while in wheat it increased

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from 9,9 per cent (without ni t rogen, phosphorus and potassium) to

10,4 per cent and 11,7 per cent respect ive ly , showing the supe r io r i t y

of the higher dose of the n u t r i e n t s .

Turbin e t a_l. (1980), while working on spring t r i t i c a l e as

a c lover crop for herbage species in Moscow (U.S.S.R,) , recorded the

maximxim grain y ie ld in t r i t i c a l e when compared with wheat, bar ley

and rye . The f e r t i l i s e r r a t es were 100-120 kg N + 402-412 kg P-O +

4 40-460 kg KjO/ha, calculated for the targeted grain y i e l d s of the

area i , e . 30,0-60,0 q/ha. They a lso obtained the maximum fodder

y i e l d in t r i t i c a l e of 573,9 qAa with the 120-140 kg N + 412-424 kg

^2^5 "*" *^0-480 kg KjO/ha and the maximum herbage y i e ld of 3 57.6 q/ha

with 80-90 kg N + 202-302 kg P2O + 400-420 kg K20/ha.

Ponce e t al^, (1981) studied the in t e rac t ion between methods

of c u l t i v a t i o n and d i f fe ren t phosphorus, (nitrogen and potassium)

f e r t i l i s e r r a t e s in two t r i t i c a l e species a t Chapingo (Mexico).

They applied the f e r t i l i s e r s a t the r a t e of 0-76 kg P2O5 (+ 0-115

kg N + 0-57 kg K20)/ha. They noted tha t grain y i e lds ranged from

25.8 q/ha with 76 kg P20^ (+ 88 kg N + 39 kg K2O) to 33.4 q/ha with

28 kg P2O5 (+ 61 kg N + 21 kg K20)/ha, Grain y ie lds were not

s i g n i f i c a n t l y affected by f e r t i l i s e r ra tes with d i f f e ren t methods

of c u l t i v a t i o n . They a lso noted tha t grain y ie lds were higher in

t r i t i c a l e than in bar ley or o a t s ,

Dimltrov e t a , (1982) of Sofia (Bulgaria) , while working on

techniques for the cu l t i va t ion of t r i t i c a l e , observed t h a t 100 kg

Po^S* ^^ ^^^ presence of 120 kg N and 100 kg KjO/ha, was the optimum

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levels gave the highest grain protein content/ 13 kg P with 200 kg NA^a

giving the highest value (8,6 per cent more than control). However,

26 kg P with 200 kg N/ha gave the maximum increase of 134,7 per cent

in grain protein yield/ha over control. Phosphorus did not affect

lysine concentration significantly whereas nitrogen application

decreased it. On the other hand, application of phosphorus favoured

grain carbohydrate content whereas that of nitrogen depleted it,

3 9 kg P with both 100 and 150 kg N/ha giving 7,4 per cent higher

value than the control,

Moinuddln et al. (1985)^ studied the nutrient requirement of

triticale at Aligarh (U,P., India), They observed the effect of

3 levels each of phosphorus and nitrogen on the growth character­

istics of four triticale cultivars (TL-419, Tigre, Muskox and Delfin)

and one cultivar each of wheat and rye. Among all cultivars tested,

Delfin gave the best performance for all the growth attributes,

40 kg P (with 200 kg N)/ha proving optirairai. They also studied the

contribution of growth characters to grain yield and concluded that

all parameters contributed significantly to the yield of triticale

and wheat.

Samiullah et al. (1987), also working at Aligarh (U.P,,

India), studied the effect of nine basal combinations of nitrogen,

phosphorus and potassium on growth characteristics of triticale

cultivar (Airmadillo PPV-13, Badger PM-119 and Armadillo T-15) at

tillering, heading and milky grain stage of growth. They noted that

fertiliser application favourably affected all growth characteristics.

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Armadillo PPV-13 performed best with respect to all growth character­

istics at all stages, with the exception of fresh and dry weight at

milky grain stage which were highest in Badger PM-119.

2,4 Foliar application of nitrogen and phosphorus

The required mineral nutrients are conventionally applied to

the soil at the time of sowing of each crop in the form of solid

commercial grade fertilisers. However, a large portion of these

nutrients applied to the soil is rendered unavailable to the crop

owing to various well known mechanisms operating in the soil,

including fixation, volatilisation, microbial degradation and

leaching etc. it may be pointed out that soil-applied phosphorus

becomes unavailable to the tune of 70-80 per cent in the course of

a crop season (Russell, 1950) which is an alarming loss to the

farmers, particularly of developing countries where fertilisers are

in short supply and therefore a costly input. In view of this

natural wastage and the inability of an average Indian farmer to

offset it by applying appropriate high fertiliser doses, net

productivity in the country remains low. Various new methods have

therefore, been evolved and recommended from time to time to economi

on this commodity and to increase its efficacy. One of the method

commonly adopted by our farmers is "split application", where a

part of the recommended dose, particularly of fertiliser nitrogen,

is applied at appropriate stages of growth in the form of top

dressing. This practice is not^however, followed for phosphatic

(or potassic) fertilisers. The alternative method of "foliar

-17-

nutrition" is more versatile and is recommended to meet the nutrient

requirement of crop plants at critical periods of growth. in this

method, dilute solution of commercial grade fertilisers is sprayed

over the foliage as and when it is needed. This technique is of

particular advantage in crops with dense stands where top dressing

is difficult. It can also be adjusted as a part of routine pest

control measures which are essential for optimising yields (wittwer

and Teubner, 1959; De, 1971; Afridi and wasluddin, 1979; Afridi, 198

Sprayed nutrients are readily absorbed by the aerial parts

of plant (Silberstein and wittwer, 1951; Thorne and watson, 1953;

Fisher and walker, 1955; Wittwer et aJ., 1957), Thus, this mode of

nutrition is of considerable importance for farmers particularly,

under adverse soil conditions. This method has been extensively

used to offset the depletion of nutrients in the leaves due to poor

root absorption or translocation from the older leaves which could

result in low photosynthetic activity at the time of "grain filling"

when the photosynthatels are needed most (Garcia and Hanway, 1976).

In India, this technique was first adopted as early as 1956,

when nutrients (mostly nitrogen) were sprayed over the foliage of

sugarcane by Sadaphal and Das. This was followed by Anonymous

(1958), Khanna and Ranganathan (1963) and Ranghanathan and Govindan

(1964) at various agricultural research centres.

the

For the last two decades,/technique has been tested and

elaborated at Aligarh where Afridi, Samiullah and their associates

have been contributing towards the efficacious and economic use of

foliar nutrition for increasing the productivity and improving the

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quality of various crops. in addition to nitrogen,studies have

included spray of phosphorus and sulphur. Samiullah (1971) on

barley, later on Afridi and samiullah (1973); samiullah and

Afridi (1975), Qaseem et_ a_l. (1978), on the same cropjKhalique

(1975) on maize and lettuce; Naqvi (1976), Naqvi et_ a_l. (1977),

Afridi et al. (1978a), parvaiz (1979), Parwaiz et al . (1982),

Afridi et a_l. (1983)^ samiullah et aJ. (1983), Samiullah et al.

(1985), Mohammad et al. (1986a), Mohammad et a_l. (1986b), on

mustard; Afridi et al. (1978b), inam (1978), Abbas (1980)^Alvi

(1984), Ashfaq (1986), on triticale and wheat; Noor (1986), on

radish and turnip; Akhtar et al, (1984), on lentil,have done

considerable work and obtained encouraging results, confirming the

advantage of supplemental foliar nutrition over other conventional

practices of nutrient application.

Although enough information is available with regard to

foliar nutrition of various cereal crops, not much work has been

done on triticale. This applies more pointedly to the supplemental

application of phosphate by foliar spray. However, whatever meagre

information is available (emanating mostly from Aligarh) has

been reviewed in brief below.

The first attempt to test the efficacy of the application

of phosphorus spray on triticale seems to be that of Inam (1978),

working at Aligarh (u.P., India). He sprayed three doses of 0,2

per cent sodium dihydrogen orthophosphate solution (1,2 and 4 kg

P^Oc/ha) on the foliage of triticale cv. Armadillo PPV-13 grown

with three basal doses of nitrogen (90, 120 and 150 kg/ha). He

-19-

reported that spray of 2 kg p_Oi-/ha proved best for most of the

yield attributes. However, straw yield was highest as a result of

the spray of 4 kg P„0 /ha. The combination N. „„ x 2 kg Pj' s spray/ha

gave the highest value for most ear characteristics but for grain

yiqld N ^ x 4 kg P^O^ spray/ha was equally effective.

In another field trial on the same cultivar of triticale

i.e. Armadillo PPV-13, the observed the effect of spray of 2 kg

P^Og./ha singly and in combination with 20 kg N/ha with three

nitrogen levels applied basally (90, 120, and 150 kg N/ha), on the

yield characteristics of triticale. He sprayed an aqueous solution

of 0,2 per cent sodium dihydrogen orthophosphate with or without

2,0 per cent aqueous solution of urea at milky grain stage of growth.

He found that the spray of nitrogen together with phosphorus gave

the maximum yield (15,2 per cent) followed by the spray of phosphorus

alone (12,5 per cent). Regarding the interaction effects,the combi­

nation NqcQ X N + P spray gave the maximum value for most of the

yield characteristics^followed by N^cn ^ P spray.

Sayed and Al-Saad (1979) conducted a two year field trial

at Riyadh (Saudi Arabia)^to study the effect of foliar application

of nutrients on grain yield and quality of two triticale lines,

namely, (a) Armadillo x 308-3N and (b) Beaver x Armadillo x 2458-Oy-

111 and a wheat cultivar Mexipak-65. They applied sprays of

nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium alone or in the following combi­

nations; nitrogen and phosphorus; nitrogen and potassium or nitro­

gen, phosphorus and potassium with water as control. In each

operation, 4.73 litre/ha of 10 per cent nitrogen, 12 per cent PO^R

-20-

and or 6 per cent KjO was applied as foliar spray. They noted

that average grain yields were 2.40 and 2.3 6 kg per plot for the

triticale lines and 2.75 kg per plot for wheat. Hectolitre weight

and 1,000 grain weight were higher in triticale line (a) than in

(b) or wheat. They reported that grain yield was increased by

fertiliser treatments but the effect varied depending on the year.

Grain nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium and crude protein contents

averaged 2.35, 0.25, 0.54 and 13.4 per cent in (a) and 2.^3, 0.24,

0.55 and 12,71 per cent in (b), respectively.

At Aligarh (U.P., India), Abbas (1980) conducted an

experiment with the aim of fertiliser economy, using dilute aerial

sprays of three sources of phosphorus namely, sodium dihydrogen

orthophosphate, calcium superphosphate and diammonium phosphate at

the rate of 5 kg p^O /ha, alone or in combination with two doses of

urea (2 or 20 kg NAia) to study the effect on yield characteristics

of triticale cv. Badger PM-118 and wheat cv, Sonalika. He observed

that sodium dihydrogen orthophosphate proved the best source of

phosphorus spray in the presence of 2 kg N/ha for most of the yield

characteristics, including grain yield, followed by sodium dihyd­

rogen orthophosphate + 20 kg N/ha. He also found that triticale

gave higher values than the wheat check for all the yield charac­

teristics, except 1,000 grain weight and grain yield.

Alvi (1984), also working at Aligarh (U.P., India), conducted

a field experiment. One or two sprays of phosphorus and nitrogen

(alone or in combination) were applied on two cultivars of triticale

(Armadillo PM-108, and Bronco-9 0), keeping wheat (HD-198 2) as checks

as a supplement to the basal fertiliser dose in a manner that each

-21-

plot finally received the same quantity of nitrogen and phosphorus

through spray and soil(N2QQ P - ). Aqueous solutions of 0,2 per

cent Sodium dihydrogen orthophosphate and/ >»2P® cent urea

were sprayed at anthesis i.e. 90 days (single spray) or 90 and 100

days (double spray) after sowing. He noted that all spray treat­

ments proved better than the water-sprayed control for most of the

yield characteristics, including grain yield. Split sprays of

phosphorus and nitrogen (equalled by split spray of nitrogen)

resulted in maximum increase of about 10 per cent in grain yield.

Regarding interaction effect/each cultivar gave maximum response to

phosphorus + nitrogen spray (equalled by nitrogen spray) with regard

to most of the yield and quality characteristics, including yield.

In fact split spray of phosphorus + nitrogen (as also of nitrogen

alone) enhanced the grain yield of Armadillo PM-108 to such an

extent that it almost reached parity with the wheat check (HD-198 2)

grown with an equivalent fertiliser dose supplied through conven­

tional soil application only. The study also confirmed the earlier

findings at Aligarh of Samiullah and Afridi (1975) and of Afridi et a_

(1978b) on barley and wheat that spray P decreases grain protein

content which could be offset by including nitrogen in the sprays.

The above review of the available literature reveals that

little work has been done on the phosphorus requirement of triticale

and that, except the contributions of the Aligarh group, no report

has appeared on the efficacy or otherwise of phosphatic sprays,

particularly with regard to the new high-yielding cultivars.

C H A P T E R - 3

P R O P O S E D S T U D Y

C O N T E N T S

Page

3.1 Preparation of fie Id 22

3.2 Soil characteristics 22

3.3 Experiment - 1 22

3.4 Experiment - 2 23

3.5 Experiment - 3 24

3.6 Method of foliar application 25

3.7 sampling techniques 25

3.7.1 Growth characteristics ...,, ,.... 26

3.7.1.1 Leaf area index 26

3.7.1.2 Net assimilation rate 26

3.7.2 Yield characteristics ' 27

3.8 Estimation of leaf N,P and K 28

contents

3.9 Statistical analysis 30

PROPOSED STUDY

3.1 Preparation of field

The proposed experiments will be conducted at the Agri­

cultural Farm of the Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh. Before

sowing, the field will be thoroughly ploughed to ensure maximum

aeration. It will also help in eliminating the weeds. Organic

manure will be added to maintain the fertility of the soil. After

that. Small plots of 10 sq m will be prepared. The basal doses

of fertiliser will be added according to the treatments of the

particular experiment.

3.2 Soil characteristics

Before sowing, small soil samples will be collected from

various plots at a depth of about 10-15 cm. The collected samples

will be mixed to form a composite soil sample. This will be

analysed for texture, pH, electrical conductivity, humus percentage

and available nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium contents of the

soil.

3.3 Experiment - 1

As mentioned earlier on p.4, this experiment has already

been conducted during 'rabi• season of 1986-87. The date of

sowing was 10th November, that had proved for trltlcale sowing in

previous trials at Aligarh (inam, 1978; Moinuddln, 1986). Before

Sowing, the seeds were tested for their viability and were surface-

sterilised with absolute alcohol. The seed rate had to be kept

-23-

20 kg/ha only due to limited availability. Sowing of seeds,

irrigation, weeding and harvesting was done according to standard

agricultural practices. A uniform basal dose of 150 kg N, 30 kg P

and 30 kg KAia was applied in furrows before sowing. The sources

of these nutrients were urea, monocalcium superphosphate and

muriate of potash respectively.

The treatments consisted of 0.2 per cent aqueous solution of

three sources of phosphorus, namely dihydrogen orthophosphate,

diammonium phosphate and monocalcium superphosphate sprayed on tops

just after anthesis. To keep the treatments strictly uniform, the

quantity of nitrogen present in diammonium phosphate spray was

assayed and the same quantity of this nutrient was included in the

sprays of the other two sources. The control was sprayed with de-

ionised water. The design of the experiment was simple randomised.

The criteria for comparison of the effect of the three

sources of phosphorus were the yield characteristics only.

3.4 Experiment - 2

This experiment wi l l be performed during the following

• r a b i ' season. The design of experiment wi l l be simple randomised.

In t h i s f i e ld experiment, the ef fec t of equal q u a n t i t i e s ( 2 kg P/hc)

sprayed e i t h e r once (at heading, pos t -an thes i s or milky gra in

s t age ) or twice (at heading and pos t - an the s i s , heading and milky

g ra in or pos t -an thes i s and milky grain s tages) or t h r i c e (at a l l

t h r e e s tages) wi l l be studied on t r i t i c a l e cv. Delf in . The spray

-24-

will consist of aqueous solution of monocalcium superphosphate

that proved the best source of phosphate in Experiment - 1. The

control will be sprayed appropriately with de-ionised water.

AS Sufficient seed has been obtained from the harvest of

Experiment-1, the seed rate will be increased to 75 kg/ha that is

the optimum for new triticales (Moinuddin, 1986). Sowing will be

done behind the plough. Seeds will be surface-sterilised prior to

Sowing. Commercial grade urea at the rate of 150 kg N/ha, mono-

calcium superphosphate at 30 kg P/ha and muriate of potash at the

rate of 30 kgjc/ha will be applied uniformly in furrows at the time

of sowing on 10 November, irrigations and weeding will be done

whenever necessary. The harvesting and threshing of the crop will

be done manually. Only yield parameters will be studied in this

field trial also. It is expected that the data will help in deter­

mining the best stage(s) for the spray of superphosphate on this

crop to augment its productivity under local conditions,

3,5 Experiment - 3

This experiment will be conducted after the completion of

Experiments-1 and 2 and will be performed on the same variety

(Delfin), The quantity of phosphatic fertiliser to be applied to

the plots at sowing will be either full dose (30 kg p/ha) , 2/3 dose

(20 kg PAa) or 1/2 of the full dose (15 kg P A a ) , The plants will

be sprayed once or more to provide a total of 2 kg p/ha in the form

of aqueous monocalcium superphosphate solution at the best stage(s)

obtained in Experiment-2, Control will be sprayed with de-ionised

water only.

-25-

The aim of this experiment will be to determine whether or

not appreciable amount of phosphatic fertiliser could be saved

without the loss in yield by the spray of small quantity of this

nutrient. The details of sowing, irrigation, weeding and harvesting

will be the same as in Experiments-1 and 2, Commercial grade urea

at the rate of 150 kg uA^a and muriate of potash at 3 0 kg K/ha will

be applied uniformly in furrows at the time of sowing whereas

monocalcium superphosphate will be applied in quantities mentioned

above (i.e. at the rate of 15, 20 or 30 kg PAia>.

in this experiment, growth characteristics and leaf N P K

content at tillering, heading and milky grain stages will also be

studied in addition to yield parameters to be noted at harvest.

This is expected to provide a ireliable physiomorphological basis for

the explanation of the yield data.

3.6 Method of foliar application

For the application of phosphorus on the tops, the aqueous

phosphatic solution will be sprayed manually by a sprayer. All

necessary precautions will be taken to apply the solution uniformly.

•5 7 Sampling technique

Thiree plants from each replicate will be taken randomly

at the time of harvest in Experiments-1 and 2 and at tillering,

heading and milky grain stages as well as at harvest for the study

of growth, leaf NPK content and yield characteristics in Experiment-

- 2 6 -

3 7 1 Growth cha rac t e r i s t i c s

The following parameters wi l l be noted t o assess the

growth of the p lan t s :

1, Leaf number/plant

2, Leaf area/plant

3, Tiller number/plant

4, Shoot length/plant

5, presh weight/plant

6, Dry weight/plant

7, Leaf area index (LAl)

8, Net assimilation rate (NAR)

The following procedure will be adopted to calculate LAI

and NAR:

,7 1 L a f ajrea index (LAI)

Leaf area index wi l l be ca lcu la ted by using the following

formula suggested by watson (1947):

Leaf area per p lant Leaf airea index = ____^_______«»_____________«__

Area occupied per p lan t

• 1* 2. Net ass imi la t ion ra te (NAR)

Net ass imila t ion ra te w i l l be ca lcu la ted according t o the

following formula given by Milthorpe and Moorby (1979):

NAR =

-27-

(W2-Wj ) (lnL2 - InL-, )

(t2-tj ) ^^2~^1^

(W2-W^) 2.303 (log;L0 2"-'-°%0 1 or, NAR = ^

(t2-t^) (L2-L1)

W^ - clry weight of plant at i growth stage.

= dry weight of plant at ii growth stage. w 2

- « i . . T «

L, = Leaf area of plant at I growth stage.

Lp = Leaf area of plant at II growth stage.

tj = days of sampling at I growth stage,

t^ = days of sampling at II growth stage ,

In = logarithm to base e

log-j ^ logarithm to base 10

3,7.2 Yield characteristics

The following yield parameters will be taken into account

at harvestj

1 - Ear nromber/plant

2 - Ear weight/plant

3 - Length/ear

4 - Spike l e t niomber/ear

5 - gra in n\imber/ear

6 - 1,000 grain weight

7 - Grain yieldAia

8 - Straw yieldAia

9 - Biological yieldAia

-28-

3,8 Estimation of leaf N» P and K contents

The N, P and K contents of the leaf will be estimated by

the following standard methods:

Digestion of the samples

Each sample will be dried in an oven at 80°C for about

24 hrs. These dried samples will be powdered and passed through a

72 mesh screen sieve. The powder will be sprayed over a clean

sheet of a paper and left overnight in an oven at 80*C,

100 mg of this powder will be carefully transferred to a

100 ml kjeldhal flask, and 2 ml of pure sulphuric acid will be added.

Digestion will be continued for 2 hours to allow complete reduction

of nitrates present in the plant material. The flask will be cooled

when the plant material turns to brownish-black, followed by drop-

wise addition of 0,5 ml of chemically pure hydrogen peroxide (30

per cent). The solution will be heated for about half an hour till

its colour changes from brownish-black to light yellow. The flask

will be cooled and additional amount of 3-4 drops of hydrogen

peroxide will be added, followed by gentle heating for another

15 minutes to get the extract clear and colourless.

The digested peroxide material will be transferred to 100 ml

volumetric flask and the volume will be made upto the mark with

doxable distilled water. Required amount of aliquot (digested

peroxide material) will be used to estimate its nitrogen, phosphorus

and potassium contentSo

- 2 9 -

Colour development for es t imat ion of N and p

Different methods wi l l be used for the es t imat ion of N and P

n u t r i e n t s . These are b r i e f l y described below;

Nitrogen

The method of Lindner (1944) will be followed, wherein 10 ml

aliquot of the diluted peroxide-digested material will be talcen in

a 50 ml volumetric flask and the excess of the acid will be neutra­

lised by 2 ml of 2,5 N sodium hydroxide. 1 ml of 10 per cent sodlxim

silicate will be added to prevent turbidity and the volume will be

made upto the mark with double distilled water. 5 ml of this solution

will be taken in a 10 ml graduated test tube and 0.5 ml of Nessler's

reagent {V. - i of Appendix i) will be added dropwise, mixing it

thoroughly after each drop. Distilled water will finally be used

to make the volxime upto 10 ml and the tube allowed to stand for

about 5 minutes for maximum colour development.

The solution will be transferred to a colorimetric tube and

the transmittance will be noted at 525 nm on a Bausch and Lomb

"spectronic-20" colorimeter. A blank will be run with each set.

A calibration curve will be obtained by using known dilutions of a

standard ammonium sulphate solution.

Phosphorus

Phosphorus will be estimated according to the method of

Fiske and subba Row (1925). 5 ml aliquot of the peroxide-digested

material will be taken in a 10 ml graduated test tube, 1 ml of

-30-

2,5 per cent molybdic acid will be added carefully and then 0.4 ml

of l-amino-2 nepthol-4-sulphonic acid (P. -ii of Appendix i) will be

added. The solution will turn blue. The volume will be made upto

10 ml with the addition of distilled water. The solution will be

mixed and allowed to stand for about 5 minutes for the maximum

colour development.

The solution will be transferred to a colorimetric tube

and transmittance will be noted at 620 nm on a Bausch and Lomb

•'Spectronic-20'' colorimeter. A standard curve will be plotted by

using the known concentrations of monobasic potassium phosphate

solution.

Potassium

The potassium content will be estimated by the flame photo­

meter. 1 ml aliquot will be appropriatly diluted with distilled

water. A blank will be run side by side which will have only

distilled water. Readings will be taken using filter for potassium

(at 740 nm)and compared with a standard curve which will be plotted

by using known graded concentrations of potassium sulphate solution.

3,9.Statistical analysis

All the experimental data will be analysed statistically by

adopting the various techniques according to the design of the

particular experiment (Panse and Sukhatme, 1985). C D . will be cal­

culated out if the •?• value will be significant upto 5 per cent of

probability level. Correlation between various parameters will be

derived out according to the experiments„

R E F E R E N C E S

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characteristics of triticale in relation to NPK fertili­

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inam, A.jSamiullah and Afridi, M.M.R.K. 1985. Triticale in relation

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Inam, A.; Samiullah; Afridi, M.M.R.K,; Ahmad, A. and Sahni, M.L.

1982, Leaf nutrient content-NPK fertilisation relationship

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Khanna, S, and Ranganathan, V. 1963. influence of foliar applied

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Kiss^ A. 1973. Table 5, 2nd TTYN. in: Results of the Second and

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Mohammad, p.; samiullah and Afridi, M.M.R.K. 1986b. Comparative

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168-172. y ^ ^ -

-38-

Moinuddin 1986. "Mineral Nutrition of Triticale in Relation to its

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-39-

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-40-

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- 4 1 -

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-42-

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A P P E N D I X -

Reagents for Nitrogen and Phosphorus estimation

1, Nesse le r ' s reagent

(a) 3.5 g potassium iodide will be dissolved in 100 ml double

distilled water to which 4% mercuric chloride solution will be

mixed with continued stirring till a slight red precipitate is

obtained; about 3 25 ml of the solution will be required,

(b) 120 g of sodium hydroxide will be dissolved in double distilled

water and the volume made upto 250 ml with doioble distilled

water.

Now solution (a) and (b) will be mixed and the final volume

made upto 1,000 ml. This solution will be kept in amber coloured

bottle to protect from sunlight.

2, Molybdic acid reagent (2.5%):

6,25 g Ammonium molybdate will be dissolved in 75 ml of

10 N H^SO^. To this solution 175 ml of double distilled water will 2 4

be added in order to get 250 ml of the above reagent.

3, Sulphuric acid (10 N ) :

27,2 ml concentrated sulphuric acid (H^SO^) will be added

carefully to double distilled water and the final volume will be

made up'^to 100 ml.

-11-

4. 1- Amlno-2-naphthol-4-sulphonic Acid

0,5 g 1 amino-2-nephthol-4-sulphonic acid will be dissolved

in 195 ml of 15% sodium bisulphite solution and than 5 ml of 20%

sodium sulphite solution will be added. After adding sodium sulphite

the solution will be filtered into an amber coloured bottle and

stored in a refrigerator.

A P P E N D I X - I I

FOLIAR FERTILISATION OF PHOSPHORUS IN RELATION

TO YIELD CHARACTERISTICS OF TRITICALE

INTRODUCTION

Foliar sprays have been successfully applied as a suitable

method of supplemental fertiliser application in various crops

(Burr et al., 1956; Tukey, 1956; Narayan and vasudevan, 1957;

De, 1971; Afridi, 1983), jt ensures rapid uptake and translocation

within a short time (Thorne, 1954 a,b; SiIberstein and wlttwer, 1951;

Foy et al., 1953).

PhosphoJTus, a mobile macro-nutrient,plays a key role in plant

metabolism and "is involved practically in every synthetic reaction

of the cell" (Hewitt, 1963), Besides this, it has a very significant

role in crop and grain filling in cereals (Mitchell, 1957; Tamhane,

et al,, 1970).

Encouraging results have been obtained at Aligarh with regard

to foliar application of phosphorus (Khalique, 1975; Qaseem, 1975;

Samiullah and Afridi, 1975; Afridi et al . 1970bjinam, 1978 and

Abbas, 1980). Triticale being claimed as the "grain of future"

(Smith, 1967) and new cultivars matching wheat in their yielding

ability being available, the present study was undertaken to test

the comparative efficacy of different sources of phosphorus applied

as supplemental aqueous spray at post anthesls stage of triticale.

- I I -

MATERIAL AND METHODS

T r i t i c a l e c v . D e l f i n was grown i n a s i m p l e r a n d o m i s e d b l o c k

d e s i g n w i t h t h r e e r e p l i c a t i o n s i n r a b i s e a s o n of 1986-87 u s i n g

s t a n d a r d a g r i c u l t u r a l p r a c t i c e s . 150 kg of N, 60 kg P and 3 0 kg K/ha

was u n i f o r m l y added i n f u r r o w s a t t h e t i m e of sowing (10 N o v e m b e r ) .

The s e e d r a t e was 20 kgA»a and sowing was done by d i b b l i n g m e t h o d .

At p o s t - a n t h e s i s s t a g e of t h e c r o p , f o l i a r s p r a y s of a q u e o u s p h o s p h a t i c

s o l u t i o n were done a t t h e r a t e of 2 kg PA»a. Sodi\jm d i h y d r o g e n o r t h o ~

p h o s p h a t e , diammonium p h o s p h a t e and monoca lc ium s u p e r p h o s p h a t e were

u s e d a s t h e s o u r c e s of p h o s p h o r u s . The c o n t r o l s were s p r a y e d w i t h

d e - i o n i s e d w a t e r o n l y . A l l n e c e s s a r y p r e c a u t i o n s were t a k e n t o a p p l y

t h e s o l u t i o n u n i f o r m l y . T h r e e p l a n t s were c o l l e c t e d r andomly a t

h a r v e s t t o n o t e t h e i r y i e l d c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s ( e a r n u m b e r / p l a n t , e a r

w e i g h t / p l a n t , e a r l e n g t h , s p i k e l e t n u m b e r / e a r , g r a i n n u m b e r / e a r ,

1 , 0 0 0 g r a i n w e i g h t , g r a i n y i e l d , s t r a w y i e l d and b i o l o g i c a l y i e l d ) .

EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS

Emergence of e a r and f i l l i n g of g r a i n s a r e t h e c u l m i n a t i o n of

v a r i o u s i n t e g r a t e d p h y s i o l o g i c a l r e s p o n s e s of a c r o p t o a p i r e v a i l i n g

e n v i r o n m e n t which s e t t h e c o u r s e o f p l a n t d i f f e r e n t i a t i o n , g r o w t h

a n d d e v e l o p m e n t ( Y o s h i d a , 1 9 7 2 ) . i n t h i s c o n t e x t , i t may b e added

t h a t y i e l d c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s r e p r e s e n t g rowth p e r f o r m a n c e of t h e c r o p

on t h e one hand and d e p i c t g r a i n y i e l d on t h e o t h e r . T h e r e f o r e t h e

s t u d y of y i e l d a t t r i b u t e s becomes i m p e r a t i v e w i t h a v i ew t o u n d e r ­

s t a n d i n g t h e y i e l d r e s p o n s e of t h e c r o p .

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- I l l -

Nine yie ld characters (ear number/plant, ear weight /p lant ,

l eng th / ea r , spikelet number/ear, grain number/ear, 1,000 grain

weight, grain y ie ld , straw y i e l d , t o t a l b io log ica l y ie ld) were

s tud ied at harvest . All these parameters, except ear length, were

s i g n i f i c a n t l y affected by the t reatments (Table 1 ) . The data are

descr ibed below:-

Ear number/plant

I t was maximxjm in S. t reatment (monocalcium superphosphate).

The two sources Sj (Na H, PO^) and S3 (DAP) giving equal r e s u l t s .

The maximum increase due t o S^ was 36.50% over S^ (water) which

recorded the lowest number of e a r s .

Ear weight /piant

Among the various t rea tments S. recorded the highest va lue .

S^t S^f S- followed the S. i n t h a t order . The increase was 40.01%,

2 7,82% and 10,3 7% respec t ive ly over S^,

Spikelet number/ear

The treatment S was more e f fec t ive for the increase in 4

number of sp ike l e t / ea r . I t was followed by the t reatments S; and So* The treatment S, exhib i ted 8,49% increase over S, # followed 2 4 1 by 8.31% and 3.79% by S^ and S2 r e spec t i ve ly .

- IV-

Grain number/ear

Signif icant increase in grain number/ear was observed in

S. . I t was 5.81% over S^. S and S2 were equal in t h e i r e f f e c t . The

va lues were 2,55% and 1,5% higher over S. ,

1^000 gra in weight

Maximum 1,000 grain weight was recorded in S>, This t rea tment

enhanced seed weight by 8.21% compared with S^, Treatments S, and s^

followed S., These treatments enhanced the grain weight by 6,40%

and 5,3 6% respect ively over Si .

Grain y i e l d

Like the other parameters,grain yield was maximum in treatment

S.f which was critically different from the rest of the treatments.

The increase in grain yield was 66.93% over S^. The treatment S2 was

at par with S^*

Straw yield

S., So and S2 t reatments were equal in t h e i r e f fec t for

producing the straw y i e l d . The straw y ie ld was poorest in S , ,

Bio log ica l y ie ld

The t o t a l y ie ld was maximum in S.. I t was 18,96% more than

S, , Sp and S^ were at par .

-V-

DISCUSSION

The data in Table 1 indicate that the spray of phosphorus

significantly increased most of the yield characteristics, including

ear.number/plant, ear weight/plant, spikelet number/ear, 1,000 grain

weight, grain number/ear, grain yield, straw yield over the water-

sprayed control. With regard to the efficacy of the three sources

of phosphorus, monocalcium superphosphate brought about tnaximum

increase in all the parameters^including grain yield.

Phosphorus enters into the composition of a large number of

important cell constituents controlling cell division and expansion,anc

in various other metabolic activities like respiration and photo­

synthesis (Terry and ulrich, 1973), At the time of reproductive stage

and grain filling, this nutrient is needed most and enhances the

process if supplied adequately. Mitchell (1957) showed that supple­

mental tcpdressing with phosphatic fertiliser increased grain yield

of cereals. Afridi and samiullah (1973) have also suggested that

much wastage of this costly fertiliser can be avoided by reducing

drastically the initial quantity of phosphatic fertiliser and

supplementing it by nominal quantities as foliar spray. The phos­

phorus supply regulates the starch/sucrose ratio in the source leaves

and the partitioning of photosynthesis between the source leaves and

reproductive organs (Giaquinta and Quebedeaux, 1980),

The present results are in conformity with earlier work done i

this respect on wheat and barley (Afridi and Samiullah, 1973, Qaseem,

1975),

-VI-

The higher efficacy of the spray of monocalcium superphosphate

seems to be due to its ability to supply phosphorus in the form of

H2POT which is taken up more readily than H P O T - released from dia-

mmonium phosphate (Hagen and Hopkins, 1955). Interestingly, sodium

dihydrogen orthophosphate, providing phosphorus in H2POT form, did

not give as good results as monocalcium superphosphate, it may be

due to the fact that the sulphur, present in the latter as an impurity

(Black, 1968), also becomes available to the plants at a critical

stage of their growth resulting in superior performance of the crop.

It is, therefore, concluded that monocalcium superphosphate could be

sprayed effectively for augmenting the yield of triticale cv. Delfin

(and probably other crops). Being the cheapest and commonly available

Source of phosphorus, its use for such operations cannot be over­

emphasised.