Abstract:
Potassium deficiency in the soils of Pakistan is spreading rapidly and has become one of the
most important nutritional limiting factors for increasing crop yield. Due to rapid to depletion of
soil potassium and increasing cost of potassium fertilizer in Pakistan, the potassium efficient
genotypes have become very important for agricultural sustainability. Keeping this important
issue in view, water culture experiment was conducted to evaluate wheat genotypes for
potassium uptake and use efficiency. Six wheat genotypes namely SD-4085/3, SD-222, SD-502,
NIA-8/7, NIA-MB-II and 22-03 were collected from Plant Breeding and Genetics Division,
Nuclear Institute of Agriculture (NIA), Tando Jam, Sindh, Pakistan. The experiment was carried
out in completely randomized design (CRD) with two treatments i.e. adequateK (3.0 mM) and
deficient K (0.3 mM) in polyethylene lined iron tubs with three replicates. Data showed
significant variations among the genotypes for shoot and root length (cm), shoot and root fresh,
shoot and root dry weight (g plant-1), total dry weight (g plant 1), shoot and root potassium
concentrations (mg g-1dry wt), shoot and root uptake (mg plant 1), chlorophyll content (mg g-1
fresh wt) and nitrate re-educates activity ( mol g-1 fresh wt h 1). Generally, K-deficiency
decreased biomass production, K-uptake and K-use efficiency, however higher genetic potential
genotypes maintained their growth and potassium accumulation even at low K-level. The
genotype 22-03, NIA-8/7 and SD 502 exhibited comparatively less relative reduction (%) in
most of the growth and physiological parameters, showing that these genotypes have potential
to grow well under deficient-K condition. |
