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Effect of rate of application of superphosphate on growth and yield of potatoes
Author(s) -
Simpson K.,
Verma R. D.,
Dainty J.
Publication year - 1959
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.2740101103
Subject(s) - acre , dry matter , yield (engineering) , phosphorus , soil water , shoot , agronomy , growing season , chemistry , horticulture , zoology , biology , ecology , materials science , organic chemistry , metallurgy
The effect of various rates of application of superphosphate between 0 and 4 cwt. P 2 O 5 per acre on the yield and growth of potatoes was studied in a very wet season (1954) and a dry one (1955). Although shoot yield was stimulated by dressings up to 2 cwt. of P 2 O 5 per acre on the ‘low P’ soils, root and tuber dry matter were not further increased by dressings above 0.66 cwt. of P 2 O 5 per acre. on ‘high P’ soils superphosphate applications had little effect on shoot yield but delayed tuber development and depressed the final yield of tuber dry matter. There was a positive correlation between P uptake and yield of tuber dry matter on the low‐P soils and a negative one on high‐P soils. It is suggested uptake of P 2 O 5 per acre at the 12‐week stage for optimum tuber production was 30‐35 lb. per acre and that phosphorus toxicity occurs at higher levels of uptake.