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Differences in Response to Available Phosphorus among White Clover Cultivars
Author(s) -
Gourley C. J. P.,
Allan D. L.,
Russelle M. P.
Publication year - 1993
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/agronj1993.00021962008500020025x
Subject(s) - cultivar , shoot , trifolium repens , agronomy , phosphorus , soil water , dry weight , fertilizer , biology , calcareous , horticulture , chemistry , botany , ecology , organic chemistry
The selection of agriculturally important plant germplasms more tolerant of low P may increase productivity on P deficient soils and reduce P fertilizer requirements. Differences in response to P availability among six cultivars of white clover ( Trifolium repens L.) were investigated in a series of pot experiments using a sand‐alumina culture technique and two low P soils, an acid Hapludult with 2.6 mg Bray‐P kg −1 and a calcareous Calciaquoll with 6.9 mg NaHCO 3 ‐extractable P kg −1 . Plants were grown in the greenhouse or growth chamber for up to 63 d in solution [P] of 0 to 82 μ M . Plant characteristics measured included dry mass and P concentration of shoots, coarse roots, and fine roots; P distribution within the plant; and root traits of total length, root hair length and number per unit root surface area, and root tip number. There were significant differences in shoot dry mass and P accumulation response curves among cultivars; cultivar rankings were consistent in sand‐alumina and in soils, but differed from other reports in the literature. We found significant cultivarby‐solution [P] interactions when only low vs. high P availabilities were compared, but not when response curves were generated and compared. Differences in herbage yield and P accumulation were associated with larger root systems, but there was no evidence of greater efficiency of P uptake or utilization in these cultivars.