Effects of Phosphorus Application Rate on the Growth and Yield of Wheat (Triticum Aestivum L.)

Abstract

Phosphorus is an important element in promoting plant growth. It serves as a crucial primary nutrient, playing a key role in facilitating the absorption of nutrients and water from deeper layers in the soil, which then improves root growth. Phosphorus is necessary for achieving higher and sustained productivity in wheat crops. The experiment was laid out at the Students’ Experimental Farm, Sindh Agriculture University, Tandojam, in a three-replicated randomized complete block design. The treatments included T1 = control (no fertilizer), T2 = 40 kg ha^-1, T3 = 50 kg ha^-1, T4 = 60 kg ha^-1, T5 = 70 kg ha^-1, and T6 = 80 kg ha^-1. Experiment analysis of variance statistical analysis via ANOVA through Statistix-8.1 (ANOVA) revealed a noteworthy distinction (P<0.05) for all yield and growth characteristics appropriate to treatments. The wheat crop fertilized with 80 kg ha^-1 phosphorus resulted in plant population (168.00 m2), tillers (365 m2), plant height (95.00 cm), spike length (12.00 cm), grain spike-1 (40.00), 48.00 (g) seed index (1000 grain g), biological yield (8600 kg ha¹), and grain yield (4300 kg ha¹). The wheat was fertilized with T5 = 70 kg ha^-1 phosphorus 162.00 m² plant population, tillers (359 m^-2), plant tallness (94.31 cm), spike length (11.52 cm), 39.69 grains spike-1, 47.68 g seed index (1000 grains wt, g), biological yield (8543 kg ha^-1), and grain yield (4268 kg ha^-1). However, the minimum lowest crop performance was T1 = Control (No Fertilizer) with 137.33 m2 plant population, tillers (317 m²), plant height (90.02 cm), spike length (9.06 cm), grain spike-1 (35.00), 42.02 g seed index (1000 grain swt), biological yield (7887 kg ha1), and grain yield (3640 kg ha1). The study revealed that while higher rates of phosphorus had a positive impact on crop performance, the treatment with T6 = 80 kg ha¹ of phosphorus proved to be the most effective in achieving maximum values for crop growth traits and grain yield (4300 kg ha¹). This was followed by the treatments with T5 = 70 kg ha^-1 yielding (4268 kg ha^-1) and T4 = 60 kg ha^-1 yielding (4052 kg ha^-1). The results also indicated that wheat performed equally well under treatments T5 and T6. Therefore, for optimal economic yield, it is recommended to use treatment T5. Hence, the differences between T5 and T6 are statistically almost the same. The seed yield increased linearly with increasing phosphorus levels. However, the plot fertilized with fertilizer containing phosphorus at 80 kg ha-1 produced the maximum (4300 kg ha^-1), followed by phosphorus at 70 kg ha^-1 (4216 kg ha^-1) and phosphorus at 60 kg ha^-1 (4052 kg ha^-1).