Saturday, 15 July 2006
139-18

Can Potassium Affect Root Length Density of Wheat?.

Ghorban Ali Roshani1, G. Narayanasamy2, and S.C. Datta2. (1) Golestan Agricultural Research Center, Dr. Beheshti Street, Gorgan, Iran, (2) Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, 110012, India

In pot culture experiment, the root length density, potassium concentration in crop, and total K uptake by wheat (var. HD 2285) at different growth stages (CRIS-Crown Root Initiation Stage, MTS-Maximum Tillering Stage, FLS-Flag Leaf Stage and DFS-Dough Formation Stage) were determined. Wheat crop was grown in pots containing 4.5 kg of three types of soils, namely Alfisol, Vertisol, and Inceptisol. Pots were divided into two sets, that is, with (50 mg kg-1 K as basal and another 50 mg kg-1 was top dressed at 45 days after sowing) and without potassium. Optimum doses of N and P and other macro- and micro-nutrients were given to the crop. At different stages of wheat growth (22, 41, 69, and 87 days after germination), the shoot was harvested and the whole of the soil in the pot was screened carefully under moist condition to collect total roots and measuring the root volume and mean root diameter. Using root volume and mean diameter of root, total root length and then root length density were calculated. Wheat dry matter yields increased gradually with crop age and it was more in Inceptisol followed by Vertisol and Alfisol. Potassium deficiency decrease Total Root Length (TRL) and Root Length Density (RLD) in the last stages of wheat growth particularly in Vertisol and Alfisol. Potassium concentration in wheat and at different stages of crop growth was found to be less in Alfisol than in Vertisol and Inceptisol. At different stages of wheat growth, potassium uptake (mg pot-1) was found to be less in Alfisol than in Vertisol and Inceptisol. The uptake values increased sharply with age of the crop up to 69 DAG, but the rate of K accumulation showed a gradual decrease thereafter, in soils which received optimum amount of potassium.

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