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Optimum Olsen Phosphorus/Zinc DTPA ratio for the initial growth of maize in agricultural soils of the Mediterranean region
Author(s) -
Sacristán Daniel,
GonzálezGuzmán Adrián,
Torrent José,
Campillo María Carmen
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of the science of food and agriculture
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 142
eISSN - 1097-0010
pISSN - 0022-5142
DOI - 10.1002/jsfa.10940
Subject(s) - soil water , calcareous , chemistry , zinc , phosphorus , fertilizer , zoology , calcareous soils , dry matter , environmental chemistry , agronomy , botany , biology , soil science , geology , organic chemistry
BACKGROUND Zinc (Zn) deficiency in crops is commonly aggravated by high levels of phosphorus (P) in soil. In this work, the initial performance of pot‐growing maize in response to the available P and Zn in soils with low available Zn and to the application of P and Zn fertilizers was investigated. RESULTS The soils (six non‐calcareous and 14 calcareous) ranged widely in available P (Olsen P: 5.5–37.9 mg kg −1 ), were poor in available Zn [diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid‐extractable Zn (Zn DTPA ): 0.20–0.84 mg kg −1 ] and had an Olsen P/Zn DTPA ratio of 13 to 111 mg mg −1 . Soil P application generally increased aerial dry matter (ADM) yield; Zn increased ADM yield mostly when applied in combination with P; and the sole application of Zn increased yield only in a soil with a high (28 mg kg −1 ) Olsen P and a low (0.36 mg kg −1 ) Zn DTPA . The increase in ADM yield resulting from optimal application of P and/or Zn to the soil was modest in soils where the Olsen P/Zn DTPA ratio was 30–60 and Olsen P was >14 mg kg −1 . Zinc uptake by the control plants was correlated with the Zn DTPA of the soil. For a certain Zn DTPA value, the level of plant available Zn was higher in non‐calcareous than in calcareous soils. CONCLUSION Soil application of fertilizer P and Zn, in soils with low levels of available Zn, should not only aim at increasing the available P and Zn levels but also balancing them at the appropriate Olsen P/Zn DTPA ratio, which was found to lie in the 30–60 range in the present study. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry