Influence of Biofertilizers and Phosphate Sources on the Phosphorus Uptake of Lettuce and Chemical Forms of Phosphorus in Soil

• Published in: Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis 2017-12, Vol.48 (22), p.2701-2714
• Main Authors: Khosravi, Anahita, Zarei, Mehdi, Ronaghi, Abdolmajid
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Bacteria; Biofertilizers; Calcium phosphates; Chemical forms of phosphorus; Composting; Correlation coefficient; Correlation coefficients; Dry matter; Fertilizers; Inoculation; insoluble phosphates; lettuce; Phosphates; Phosphorus; Plant growth; Powder; Pseudomonas fluorescens; Rock phosphate; Soil; Soils; Tricalcium phosphate; Uptake; vermicompost; Vermicomposting; Worms
• ISSN: 0010-3624; 1532-2416; 1532-4133
• DOI: 10.1080/00103624.2017.1416396

A greenhouse experiment was conducted with a factorial arrangement in a completely randomized design with three replications. Treatments consisted of two levels of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) (Pseudomonas fluorescens) (with and without inoculation), two levels of vermicompost (0 and 1% w/w), and four phosphate (P) sources (control, rock phosphate powder (RP), tricalcium phosphate (TCP), and triple super phosphate (SP) at 25 mg P kg −1 level). Co-application of PGPR and RP in non-vermicompost treatments significantly increased shoot fresh weight, shoot dry matter yield, shoot P uptake, soil Ca 2 -P concentration, but it significantly decreased soil Ca 8 -P and Ca 10 -P concentrations. The maximum shoot P uptake was obtained in combined application of RP with vermicompost which had no significant difference with the co-application of SP with vermicompost in bacterial and non-bacterial treatments. There was a negative correlation coefficient between shoot P concentration and chemical forms of phosphorus. It may be concluded that application of biofertilizers changed the chemical forms of inorganic phosphorus and increased P uptake by plant.