Genetic variability in N, P, K utilization efficiency in spring wheat at different concentration of nutrient solutions.

Abstract

From the ecological and economic points of view it is necessary to change agricultural practice towards low- input cultivation systems. This requires breeding of new cultivars with improved utilization efficiency of mineral nutrients. The response of fifty spring wheat cultivars representing different origin and years of release (from 1990 to 1996) to different concentrations of the Hoagland nutrient solution was investigated under controlled conditions (climatic chamber). A wide variability in N, P, K contents, their utilization efficiency and production of dry matter was found among wheat cultivars at the shooting phase of plant development at all nutrient concentrations applied. The variability coefficient decreased with the increasing concentration of Hoagland solution. Old Polish cultivars (released 1900 – 1960) and most of the intermediate cultivars (released 1961 – 1980) showed high of N, P, K utilization efficiency. The modern cultivars (released after 1981) showed either high or low N, P, K utilization efficiency. This efficiency was determined by dry matter (r= 0.94 - 0.98) and N, P, K contents (r= 0.62 - 0.94). The majority of spring wheat cultivars showed almost linear response of the evaluated parameters to increased nutrient concentration in Hoagland solution. It was been proved that genetic variability of N, P, K utilization efficiency can be assessed as early as at shooting phase