Remobilization and utilization of phosphorus in wheat cultivars under induced phosphorus deficiency

ABSTRACT

A solution culture study was conducted to compare the phosphorus (P) remobilization efficiency of four wheat cultivars under induced P deficiency. Wheat cultivars, i.e. Sarsabz, NIA-Sunder, NIA-Amber and NIA-Saarang were initially grown on adequate P nutrition for 30 days and then exposed to P-free nutrient solution for next 15 days to study P remobilization. Completely randomized design (CRD) with ten replicates per cultivar was employed. Cultivars varied for biomass production, P concentration, P uptake, and P utilization efficiency at both harvests. Overall, more than 75% of absorbed P was mobilized from older leaves to younger leaves as well as roots of all cultivars during P-omission period. However, cultivars could not produce significant variations (P < 0.05) in P remobilization, which implied that P remobilization was only a stress response to P deficiency in wheat cultivars and it could not be related to P utilization efficiency of these cultivars.

KEYWORDS:

• hydroponics
• phosphorus
• p-use efficiency
• re-translocation
• wheat

Acknowledgments

The cooperation of Dr. Mehboob Ali Sial, Deputy Chief Scientist/Wheat Breeder, Nuclear Institute of Agriculture (NIA), Tando Jam is highly acknowledged for providing the seed of wheat cultivars used in this study.