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Pearl Millet Growth as Affected by Phosphorus and Water
Author(s) -
Payne W. A.,
Lascano R. J.,
Hossner L. R.,
Wendt C. W.,
Onken A. B.
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
agronomy journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.752
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1435-0645
pISSN - 0002-1962
DOI - 10.2134/agronj1991.00021962008300060005x
Subject(s) - pennisetum , phosphorus , agronomy , pearl , soil water , environmental science , biomass (ecology) , zoology , nutrient , biology , chemistry , geography , ecology , soil science , organic chemistry , archaeology
The interaction of soil water and P supply is of paramount importance to pearl millet [ Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.] growth in Sahelian Africa due to unreliable rainfall and low soil P availability. This study was conducted to quantify the growth response of pearl millet to water supply and P under conditions analogous to the Sahel in terms of climate and soil. Millet was grown for 84 d in pots containing 85 kg of Betis: sand (sandy, silicious, thermic Psammentic Paleustalf) at a semiarid location near Lubbock, TX, and harvested at regular intervals. Pots were treated with four levels of applied P (0.00, 1.15, 3.38, and 7.77 g P m −2 ) and two water levels (water stressed and non‐water stressed). Whole plant biomass at final harvest increased within the non‐water stressed treatment from 145 g per pot in the 0.00 g P m −2 level to 626 g per pot in the 7.77 g P m −2 level, and from 64 to 220 g per pot within the water stressed treatments. Analysis of variance showed highly significant statistical interaction between water and P level during most of the experiment. Maximum whole plant production rates for non‐water stressed plants occurred between 42 and 58 days after emergence (DAE), increasing from 5.0 g d −1 in the 0.00 g P m −2 level to 18.5 g d −1 in the 7.77 g P m −2 level, and between 28 and 42 DAE for water stressed plants, increasing from 1.3 g d −1 to 8.5 g d −1 . Growth rates of plant organs also increased with P level irrespective of water level. Our study quantifies the strong influence and interaction of P and water supply on pearl millet growth and development in Sahel‐like environments, and demonstrates that water supply under such conditions cannot be effectively managed for pearl millet production without addressing soil fertility constraints.