Understanding phosphorus dynamics on wheat plant under split root system in alkaline soil
Plants are not uniform in their nutritional requirements, most of them survive under adverse conditions of humidity, temperature and nutrients, because they are genetically adapted to their habitat and even some varieties of the same species present differences in absorption, translocation, accumulation and nutrient use. This study is aimed at examining the phosphorus (P) status and P distribution in the different parts of wheat (Triticum aestivum L. plant, root and shoot growth response in a split root soil culture in alkaline soil. The soil having pH 7.9 was collected from the alkaline region of Bangladesh. KH2PO4 was used as the source of phosphorus for the different level of P applications. Two recently BARI developed wheat varieties namely BARI GOM 25 and BARI GOM 26 were used as testing plants with three replications. Result showed the growth parameter increased with the increase of P application. Likewise, P uptake by wheat seedlings also increases with the elevated P application. However, no significant differences were observed between wheat varieties irrespective of growth and P uptake by wheat seedlings. Moreover, elevated P concentrations in the shoot of wheat plants probably provided more P for shoot unloading of P and for P assimilation in the controlled roots, resulting in increased P concentrations in the roots of wheat plants, that means, translocation of P in the roots. These findings indicate that the added soluble P increases the absorption of nutrients from the soil solution. However, application of elevated P is efficient both for increasing shoot development and root growth and plays significant role in the phosphorus dynamics within the wheat plants in split root system in alkaline soil.