Evaluation of Maize Growth Following Early Season Foliar P Supply of Various Fertilizer Formulations and in Relation to Nutritional Status

The efficiency of phosphorus (P) use in agriculture needs to be improved, with farmers being increasingly forced by law to reduce P soil fertilization. Thus, P foliar application might become more important in agriculture. The effect of foliar P fertilization has not been widely studied in maize, de...

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Published in:Agronomy (Basel) 2021-04, Vol.11 (4), p.727
Main Authors: Görlach, Bruno Maximilian, Henningsen, Jon Niklas, Mackens, Jens Torsten, Mühling, Karl Hermann
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agriculture
Cereal crops
Corn
Crop growth
Developmental stages
Dry matter
Efficiency
Fertilization
Fertilizers
Flowering
foliar application
Foliar applications
foliar nutrition
foliar uptake
Growing season
Humidity
Long-term effects
nutrient management
Nutrients
Nutrition
Nutritional status
phosphate
Phosphorus
Rain
Soil sciences
Soils
Translocation
Water shortages
Wheat
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Summary:The efficiency of phosphorus (P) use in agriculture needs to be improved, with farmers being increasingly forced by law to reduce P soil fertilization. Thus, P foliar application might become more important in agriculture. The effect of foliar P fertilization has not been widely studied in maize, despite it being a crop with high P demand during juvenile development. Our aim was to investigate the effect of P foliar application during juvenile development on maize crop growth and yield. We conducted outdoor pot experiments to investigate the effect on P uptake, translocation, and dry matter following three applications of foliar fertilizer of various P formulations and with additional P soil fertilization between the 4th and 6th leaf stage during two growing seasons. To determine direct and possible long-term effects, plants were harvested at various developmental stages. P foliar application resulted in a significant increase in P concentration in all plant parts ten days after the last application, regardless of P form, nutritional status, or year. P concentration remained high only in those parts of the plant that were present during foliar application. Biomass effects were sporadically visible until flowering, but not at maturity. We conclude that foliar P fertilization during juvenile development does not increase yield but might nevertheless be a useful remedy for short-term P deficits.
ISSN:2073-4395
2073-4395
DOI:10.3390/agronomy11040727