Abstract
A field study with barley was conducted in 1984 and 1985 to provide data on uptake rates of N, P, K and Mg and their variation as the growing season progressed. Two varieties were grown: Galt in 1984 and Otal in 1985. Soil fertility was maintained at or near optimum conditions. Samples were obtained approximately every 10 days for shoot dry weight, nutrient content and root length measurements. The approximate method (Williams, 1948) traditionally used for calculating uptake rates was found to be invalid for most of the nutrients studied. The method used for measuring uptake rates was the functional approach proposed by Hunt (1973). Inflow,i.e. uptake rate per unit root length, of plant nutrients, decreased with time. However, maximum uptake rates measured in kg ha−1d−1 occurred at about 50 days from sowing because of increasing root length density with time. Inflow or uptake rates were low in 1985 because of moisture deficiency, and grain yield (0.89 t ha−1) was severely depressed. This study demonstrated that Hunt's method is superior and more advantageous than the traditional, approximate method.
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Soon, Y.K. Nutrient uptake by barley roots under field conditions. Plant Soil 109, 171–179 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02202081
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02202081