EFFECT OF POTASSIUM APPLICATION ON PHOSPHORUS USE EFFICIENCY IN MAIZE CROP
Keywords:
Applications, Potassium, Phosphorus, Efficiency, Maize CropAbstract
Phosphorus (P) is an essential nutrient needed by plant in large amounts, and play major role in the plant physiological process. P ion is taken up by the plants as HPO 4 2- and H 2 PO 4 - and is very immobile in soil and less soluble nutrient, due to which less available to crops. P solubility may also be improved by applying K fertilizer as K can improve proton release from plant roots by plasmamembrance H+ -ATPase. The objective of current study was to investigate the effect of potassium on phosphorus use efficiency. A pot experiment was conducted and maize was used as experimental crop. Thirty pots were used with 20 kg soil per pot and there were three K treatments, including control (N), recommended and double of recommended doses of K fertilizer. And P treatments include control and recommended dose of P using different source of P i.e. rock phosphate, single super phosphate and di-ammonium phosphate. Crop was harvested after seven weeks and after harvesting K was determined by using flame photometer and P was determined by spectrophotometer. The data recorded were analyzed using two-way ANOVA and differences among the treatment means were compared using LSD test at 5% significance level. Where K was applied at double recommended dose with recommended rate of nitrogen and phosphorus with DAP source increased shoot length, shoot fresh weight, dry shoot weight, root fresh weight and dry root weight. Furthermore P uptake in root and shoot was also increased due to double rate of potassium along with P (DAP). Application of potassium rate show positive effect on availability of phosphorus, when P was applied as DAP, while for other P source response was not found.