Seasonal critical concentration and relationships of leaf phosphorus and potassium status with biomass and yield traits of soybean

摘要

Analysis of uppermost fully expanded leaves is useful to detect a deficiency of mineral nutrients such as phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) in soybean. Although, the leaf P or K status aids in fertilizer management, information on nutrient seasonal relationships with growth and yield traits at maturity are limited. To investigate this, soybean was grown under varying P or K nutrition under ambient and elevated CO2 concentrations. Results show significant relationships of the relative total biomass and yield-related traits with the foliar P and K concentrations measured several times in the season across CO2 levels. However, the relationships established earlier in the season showed that the growth period between 25 and 37 d after planting (DAP), representing the beginning of flowering and pod, respectively, is the best for leaf sampling to determine the foliar P or K status. The leaf P and K status as well as the critical leaf P (CLPC) and K (CLKC) concentrations for traits such as seed yield peaked around 30 DAP (R2 stage) and tended to decline thereafter with the plant age. The CLPC and CLKC of seed yield indicate that the leaf P and K concentration of at least 2.74 mg g(-1) and 19.06 mg g(-1), respectively, in the uppermost fully expanded leaves are needed between 25 and 37 DAP for near-optimum soybean yield. Moreover, the greatest impact of P and K deficiency occurred for the traits that contribute the most to the soybean yield (e.g., relative total biomass, seed yield, pod and seed numbers), while traits such as seed number per pod, seed size, and shelling percentages were the least affected and showed smaller leaf critical concentration. The CLPC or CLKC for biomass and seed yield was greater under elevated CO2 24-25 DAP but varied thereafter. These results are useful to researchers and farmers to understand the dynamics of the relationship of pre-harvest leaf P and K status with soybean productivity at maturity, and in the determination of suitable growth stag