TY - JOUR
T1 - Novel rock mineral fertiliser application with microbial consortium inoculant enhances growth, yield and grain protein content of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in sandy soil
AU - Tshering, Kinley
AU - Rengel, Zed
AU - Storer, Paul
AU - Solaiman, Zakaria M.
PY - 2023
Y1 - 2023
N2 - Grain yield and protein concentration are critical traits determining wheat economic value and are dependent on nitrogen (N) supply and crop N status. However, the application of N fertilisers is costly and has a large environmental footprint. We assessed the effect of slow-release rock mineral fertiliser (RMF) with or without microbial consortium inoculant (MI) on growth, grain yield and protein content of winter wheat grown in low-fertility soil. The experiment was set up with three factors [RMF rates (0, 10 and 20 mg N kg−1 soil), MI (with and without) and two wheat genotypes] replicated four times and harvested twice (anthesis and maturity). The addition of MI increased root biomass at anthesis, but there was no effect at maturity. The shoot and grain nutrient content and protein yield were highest in plants treated with 20 mg N kg−1 soil. The plants treated with MI resulted in lower grain protein concentrations than those without MI. Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) colonisation was higher in treatment with than without MI. The application of RMF at 20 mg N kg−1 soil produced higher plant growth, nutrient content, grain and protein yield compared to control in nutrient-poor sandy soil.
AB - Grain yield and protein concentration are critical traits determining wheat economic value and are dependent on nitrogen (N) supply and crop N status. However, the application of N fertilisers is costly and has a large environmental footprint. We assessed the effect of slow-release rock mineral fertiliser (RMF) with or without microbial consortium inoculant (MI) on growth, grain yield and protein content of winter wheat grown in low-fertility soil. The experiment was set up with three factors [RMF rates (0, 10 and 20 mg N kg−1 soil), MI (with and without) and two wheat genotypes] replicated four times and harvested twice (anthesis and maturity). The addition of MI increased root biomass at anthesis, but there was no effect at maturity. The shoot and grain nutrient content and protein yield were highest in plants treated with 20 mg N kg−1 soil. The plants treated with MI resulted in lower grain protein concentrations than those without MI. Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) colonisation was higher in treatment with than without MI. The application of RMF at 20 mg N kg−1 soil produced higher plant growth, nutrient content, grain and protein yield compared to control in nutrient-poor sandy soil.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85135793427&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/03650340.2022.2111024
DO - 10.1080/03650340.2022.2111024
M3 - Article
SN - 0365-0340
VL - 69
SP - 1734
EP - 1749
JO - Archives of Agronomy and Soil Science
JF - Archives of Agronomy and Soil Science
IS - 10
ER -