Response of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) to phosphorus application in different soils series having diverse lime content.

A field experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of various levels of phosphorus on wheat (Triticum aestivum L., cv. Pirsabaq-2004) in Peshawar and Guliana soil series having different lime contents. The site in Peshawar was silty clay loam with 19 % lime situated at New Developmental Agricultural Research Farm (NDF) of the University of Agriculture, Peshawar-Pakistan, while Guliana soil (a farmer’s field located at Gulabad, Charsadda district ) was also silty clay loam having 4 % lime. The experiment was laid out in randomized complete block design (RCBD) at both sites and was supplied with 0, 45, 90, 135 and 180 kg P2O5 ha -1 applied as triple super phosphate (TSP) along with basal doses of nitrogen (N) as urea and potassium (K) as sulphate of potash (SOP) at the rate of 120 and 60 kg ha -1 , respectively. The results showed that plant height, spike length and biomass significantly (p < 0.05) increased with increasing level of P up to 90 kg P2O5 ha -1 in Peshawar soil series, whereas in Guliana soil, though these parameters were significantly higher than control but the differences among treatments were non-significant. Similarly, the grain yield in Peshawar soil series increased by 29.6, 68.8 and 76.5 % over control with application of 45, 90, 135 kg P2O5 ha 1 while in Guliana, significant increase was observed only up to 90 kg P2O5 ha -1 with value of 54.8% over control. Comparing the two sites, it was noted that wheat yield was significantly higher in Guliana than Peshawar soil series. The results of P concentration ([P]) in tissue at boot stage showed that crops at Guliana accumulated lower P compared to anthesis stage and the over all [P] was higher in Guliana soil series compared to Peshawar soil. The water soluble and AB-DTPA extractable P was higher at boot stage of the crop in Guliana soil series but at anthesis and post-harvest stage, the reverse trend was observed. These results suggested that the requirement of P in high limed Peshawar soil series was comparatively more (90-135 P2O5 ha -1 ) than 45 to 90 kg P2O5 ha -1 in low limed Guliana soil series.