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Evaluation of phosphoric acid as a phosphate fertilizer for wheat production

on salt-affected soils

Article  in  Agrochimica -Pisa- · August 2011

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Agrochimica, Vol. LV - N. 5 September-October 2011

Evaluation of phosphoric acid as a phosphate fertilizer for wheat

production on salt-affected soils
F. Hussain, M. Akhtar, M. Yasin Ashraf, T.M. Qureshi, Anwar ul Haq, A.
Naeem
Soil Science Division, Nuclear Institute for Agriculture and Biology (NIAB), Jhang Road, Faisalabad,
Pakistan

Received XX Xx 2011 – Received in revised form XX Xx 2011 – Accepted XX Xx 2011

Keywords: Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Introduction. – Lower availability of phosphorus (P) to plants

from granular P fertilizers has remained a matter of concern in arid and
semi-arid soils owing to the presence of free lime, Ca and/or Mg. These
soil constituents create a major sink for common P fertilizers in the form
of P fixation, and transform a major portion of the soluble fertilizer-P (~
80 %) to phosphate minerals with very low solubility. Thus abundantly
applied fertilizer-P is retained by the soil and only a small portion (~20%)
of it is taken up by the crop under alkaline soil environment (Hopkins
and Ellsworth, 2005). Such losses of expensive P-fertilizer in the
present scenario of their increased prices are unbearable. It is, therefore,
necessary to find out alternatives of existing expensive and inefficient P
sources (common fertilizers) generally applied through broadcast meth-
od before sowing. Simply adding granular fertilizer P at “normal” rates
and with conventional methods may not result in optimal yield (Stark
and Westermann, 2003). The common and recommended practice of
P fertilizer application is to broadcast and incorporate in the soil before
sowing. This practice greatly limits the efficiency of P fertilization as
it exposes the added P fertilizer to soil environment where maximum
P fixation takes place before it is taken up by the crop. Various studies
showed little utility of applied P before sowing until first irrigation to
wheat crop (Latif et al., 1994 and Alam et al., 2003). Lesser solubil-
ity, lower mobility and comparatively higher pH of existing P fertilizers
create some hurdles to P availability and uptake by plants (REHM et
al., 1998). The output of P fertilizer also becomes very low than actual
potential due to inappropriate application practices. Broadcast method of

Corrisponding author: niabmyashraf@gmail.com; myashrafsp@yahoo.com

204 F. HUSSAIN et al.

fertilizer application before sowing may be one of the major causes for
low fertilizer efficiency in our soils as it allows more time/ soil surface
area for its fixation to soil constituents. Therefore, to obtain maximum
efficiency of P fertilizer, it is essential to use proper fertilizer at proper
time and with appropriate method of application (Miller and Wolf,
1987).
Fluid fertilizers have been found better than the granular ones in
improving the crop productivity and the fertilizer use efficiency. Their
better efficiency is due to the chemical effect rather than placement
effect (Malcolm et al., 2000). The fluid fertilizer may be less reac-
tive to the soil constituents due to the dilute solution of P ions around
the fluid stream in the soil than that around the fertilizer granule. The
responses in other words may be due to the even distribution of P via a
fluid application as compared to randomly distributed fertilizer granules
(Holloway and Frischke, 1999). Fertigation (the application of ferti-
lizers through irrigation water) is one way to apply fertilizer in solution
form and seems an appropriate P fertilizer management approach for
intensive sustainable agriculture, as it is used to increase yield, fertilizer
use efficiency and to protect environment.
Phosphoric acid is usually used to produce P fertilizers which is a
costly and energy consuming process. However, its direct use has been
found effective when it was applied through irrigation water after the
emergence of maize and wheat grown under alkaline and calcareous
soil conditions. Half dose of P as phosphoric acid produced as much
maize yield as produced by the full dose of P as SSP (Niab, 2002).
Some Australian scientists also confirmed the superiority of fluid P
fertilizers over the granular P-fertilizer and produced 31% more wheat
yield using fluid P-fertilizers as compared to granular ones (Holloway
et al., 2001).
The soils in Pakistan are generally alkaline in nature and sodica-
tion of the soils further causes increase in pH that results in reduction
in availability of P and other nutrients in soil (Alam et al., 2003). On
salt-affected soils, the conventional P fertilizers showed inefficiency and
caused low yield of wheat (Sial et al., 2005 and Sarwar et al., 2008)
over long time. Application of fluid P fertilizers having soil acidifica-
tion effect can not only enhance crop yield in salt-affected soils but also
could ameliorate such soils by lowering their pH and SAR. Phosphoric
acid was found a suitable source for this purpose due to its complete
solubility and access down to the root zone through irrigation water.
 phosphoric acid as P fertilizer for salt-affected soils 205

Keeping in view the importance of fluid P fertilizers in crop production,

their expected higher availability in salt-affected soils and better effects
on properties of these soils, phosphoric acid was evaluated as an alterna-
tive P source for wheat production on salt-affected soils.

Materials and methods. – Experimental site. – The experiments were conducted

in pots at net house of the Soil Science Division of Nuclear Institute for Agriculture and
Biology (NIAB), Faisalabad wherein a salt-affected soil collected from the Bio-saline
Research Station of NIAB at Pakka Anna, Faisalabad was used.
Soil analysis. – The soil was air dried,
Table 1. – Physical and chemical ground and passed through a 2 mm sieve
properties of the soil used. to fill in pots and to determine the physi-
cal and chemical properties (Tab.  1). The
Soil properties Value
soil saturated paste was prepared to deter-
pHs 9.3 mine water holding capacity of the soil
ECe, dSm-1 3.5 (Rhoades, 1982). It was analysed for tex-
SAR 46.3 ture by hydrometer method (Moodie et al.,
1959) and organic matter following Walkley
Organic matter, % 0.58 and Black method (Page et al., 1982). The
P, mg kg-1 2.1 soil chemical properties like pH, electri-
Clay, % 13.6 % cal conductivity (EC) and sodium adsorp-
tion ratio (SAR) were determined using
Silt, % 13.0 % saturated paste and extract of the soils (U.S.
Sand, % 73.4 % Salinity Lab. Staff, 1954; Page et al., 1982).
Textural class Sandy loam Phosphorus was extracted by 0.5M NaHCO3
and determined using spectrophotometer
(Watanabe and Olsen, 1965).
Experiment 1.– Comparison of phosphoric acid with single superphosphate (SSP)
used for wheat grown on a salt-affected soil. – The greenhouse experiment was carried
out in pots containing 5 kg soil each, placed in completely randomized design with each
treatment replicated four times. The first set comprised treatments of mixing SSP with
soil 4 days before sowing @ P equivalent to 0 (control), 11, 22 and 33 mg kg-1 soil. The
second set comprised of phosphoric acid treatments at the same P rates by applying equal
volumes of dilute solutions of the acid along with additional water to maintain 100%
field capacity. Water was applied to soil in pots to attain 100% field capacity. The rec-
ommended basal dose of N (75 mg N kg-1 soil) as ammonium sulphate was also applied
in three equal splits. Wheat (cv. Sarsabz) was sown in soil after 4 days when P sources
particularly phosphoric acid had sufficiently reacted with the soil and its constituents.
The seedlings were thinned to 4 after one week of germination. The crop was irrigated
daily by weighing to replenish water content to 100% field capacity. It was grown up to
maturity and harvested to determine grain and straw yield. The plant samples were oven
dried and analyzed for P content to determine total P uptake.
Experiment 2. – Effect of split application of phosphoric acid on wheat grown on
a salt-affected soil.  – A similar greenhouse experiment was carried out in pots using
the same (sodic) soil to evaluate the effect of split application of phosphoric acid on
wheat. The treatments comprised 0 (control), 13, 26 mg P kg-1 soil as phosphoric acid.
206 F. HUSSAIN et al.

Phosphorus was applied at different times/splits as fellows: i) whole P before sowing

ii) whole P 30 days after sowing and iii) ½ P before + ½ P 30 days after sowing. Other
conditions and studying parameters were similar to the previous experiment.

Results and discussion. – Generally, an increase in grain and straw
yield and total P uptake by plants was observed with the addition of P as
SSP or phosphoric acid in wheat and sorghum (Vishandas et al., 2006;
Akram et al., 2007; Figs. 1-3). The results of present study showed that
11 mg P kg-1 was an optimum rate to get good yield of wheat both with
SSP or phosphoric acid (20.6 and 23.4 g grain/pot, respectively). Grain
yield was the lowest at control (0.85 g/pot) and it significantly increased
with the increase in P rates. The highest P rate as phosphoric acid pro-
duced the maximum grain yield of wheat (28.3 g/pot) followed by the
highest rate of SSP (26.4 g/pot). At all P rates, phosphoric acid remained
superior to that of SSP in significantly improving the yield (Fig. 1). The
grain yield at each lower rate of phosphoric acid was at par with the next
higher dose of SSP showing remarkably higher efficiency of phosphoric
acid than SSP.
Phosphoric acid was found to be a viable alternative to common fer-
tilizer. It was found even better than the standard commercial fertilizer
due to its ability to easily dissociate yielding plant available P and pro-
ton, equally beneficial to plant and soil with alkaline calcareous nature.
The fluid fertilizer may be less reactive to the soil constituents due to the
dilute solution of P ion around the fluid stream in the soil than around
the granule. The responses in other words may be due to the even distri-

Fig. 1. – Inserire dida

 phosphoric acid as P fertilizer for salt-affected soils 207

Fig. 2. – Inserire dida

Fig. 3. – Inserire dida

bution of P via a fluid application as compared to randomly distributed

fertilizer granules (Holloway et al., 2001).
The phosphate fertilizer manufacturing from phosphoric acid is a
costly and energy consuming process. However, its direct use as fluid
fertilizer has been found effective to wheat grown under alkaline and
calcareous soil conditions. Previous studies conducted at NIAB have
shown similar result where half dose of P as phosphoric acid produced
208 F. HUSSAIN et al.

as much maize yield as that by the full dose of P as SSP (Niab,

2002).
Grain and straw analysis showed that P uptake by wheat (Fig.  3),
particularly at lower P rates, was significantly higher with the supply
of P from phosphoric acid (49.5 & 73  mg/pot at 11 and 22 mg P kg-1
soil) than from SSP (31.7 and 63 mg/pot at 11 & 22 mg P kg-1 soil). The
results are in accordance with the findings of some Australian scientists
who also observed that P uptake by wheat grown under calcareous envi-
ronment, was 20% higher from fluid fertilizer than from granular ones
(Bertrand et al., 2001).

Fig. 4. – Inserire dida

Fig. 5. – Inserire dida

 phosphoric acid as P fertilizer for salt-affected soils 209

Fig. 6. – Inserire dida

Figures.  4-6 revealed that the results regarding grain/straw yield

and their N uptake obtained from later application of phosphoric acid
were equivalent to that obtained from its application before sowing.
The results clearly indicated that later application of the acid is equally
good and has no adverse effect on yield. Since the yield obtained from
split application of lower rate of phosphoric acid was statistically equal
and the same was true for higher rates, therefore phosphoric acid can
be applied either before sowing or with first irrigation without affecting
yield. The results suggest that if the farmer cannot arrange the applica-
tion of phosphoric acid before sowing of wheat then he can confidently
apply it with first irrigation of the crop to obtain equally good yield.
Split application of phosphoric acid was not superior to single appli-
cation indicating that whole P as phosphoric acid can be applied in a
single dose. This single application and flexibility in time of application
may be attractive to farmers and they may find enough time to fulfil the
P requirement of the crop.

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Summary. – Phosphoric acid was evaluated as a P source for wheat production on

salt-affected soils by conducting two pot experiments. In the first experiment, effective-
ness of phosphoric acid was compared with single superphosphate following their appli-
cation to a sodic soil at different rates (0, 11, 22 and 33 mg P kg-1 soil). In the second
experiment, the efficiency of later/ split applications of phosphoric acid was studied. The
results of the first experiment showed that although grain yield increased significantly
with increase in P, rate, 11 mg P kg-1 soil appeared to be an adequate P rate for enhancing
wheat yield on salt-affected soil used for the experiment. Grain yield at each lower rate
of phosphoric acid was at par with the next higher rate of single superphosphate. Grain
and straw analysis showed that P uptake by wheat particularly at low and medium  P
rates, was markedly higher from phosphoric acid than from single superphosphate. The
results of the second experiment revealed that the grain yield obtained by the later appli-
cation of phosphoric acid was almost similar to that obtained from its application before
 phosphoric acid as P fertilizer for salt-affected soils 211

sowing. The results clearly demonstrated that the later applications of phosphoric acid
are equally good and have no adverse effect on wheat yield. The results also showed that
split application of phosphoric acid was not superior to single application indicating that
whole P as phosphoric acid can be applied as a single dose. The over all results suggest
that phosphoric acid would be significantly more efficient P fertilizer for wheat produc-
tion on salt-affected soils.

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