Journal of Food, Agriculture and Environment

Effects of placement depth of phosphorus on growth and yield of maize (Zea mays L.)

Author(s):

Ya-li Zhao ^{1, 2}, Jian-feng Chang ^{1, 2}, Chun-shou Yang ¹, Chao-hai Li ^{1, 2*}

Recieved Date: 2013-10-16, Accepted Date: 2014-01-08

Abstract:

Phosphorus (P) is a critical macronutrient for maize growth and development. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of P placement depth on maize growth and yield. Three pot experiments and a field experiment with same treatments were carried out during 2006-2008. The study investigated the growth and yield responses of maize to four P placement depths (CK, nil-P; T5, shallow P band placement at 5 cm; T15, deep P band placement at 15 cm; T5/15, split P band placement at 5 cm and 15 cm). P placement significantly increased maize yield by 14.1% compared with the nil-P control. The maize yield of the three P placement depths decreased in the order of T15, T5/15 and T5. The yield of T15 was 5.2% and 9.9%, higher than that of T5/15 and T5, respectively. The shoot and root biomass, leaf area index and photosynthetic rate of maize also increased significantly with P placement. Compared with split P placement (T5/15) and shallow P placement (T5), the shoot biomass of deep P placement (T15) increased by 11.2% and 20.0%, root biomass increased by 9.6% and 15.9%, leaf area index increased by 10.3% and 17.3%, and photosynthetic rate increased by 14.0% and 21.7%, respectively. It is concluded that P placement depths have significant effect on maize growth and production, and deep P placement is better than split and shallow P placement in yield and growth improvement of maize. The optimal P effects can be achieved in maize growth and production when P fertilizer is deep applied at a depth of 15 cm.

Keywords:

Shoot biomass, root dry weight, root-to-shoot ratio, leaf area index, photosynthetic rate

---

Journal: Journal of Food, Agriculture and Environment
Year: 2014
Volume: 12
Issue: 1
Category: Agriculture
Pages: 251-254

---

Full text for Subscribers

---

Information:

Note to users

The requested document is freely available only to subscribers/registered users with an online subscription to the Journal of Food, Agriculture & Environment. If you have set up a personal subscription to this title please enter your user name and password. All abstracts are available for free.

Article purchasing

If you like to purchase this specific document such as article, review or this journal issue, contact us. Specify the title of the article or review, issue, number, volume and date of the publication. Software and compilation, Science & Technology, all rights reserved. Your use of this website details or service is governed by terms of use. Authors are invited to check from time to time news or information.

---

Purchase this Article:   20 Purchase PDF Order Reprints for 15

---

Share this article :