Iowa State University Capstones, Theses and Retrospective Theses and Dissertations Dissertations 1975 Foliar application of phosphorus compounds Dirk Barèl Iowa State University Follow this and additional works at: https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/rtd Part of the Agricultural Science Commons, Agriculture Commons, Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons, Geochemistry Commons, and the Soil Science Commons Recommended Citation Barèl, Dirk, "Foliar application of phosphorus compounds " (1975). Retrospective Theses and Dissertations. 5455. https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/rtd/5455 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Iowa State University Capstones, Theses and Dissertations at Iowa State University Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Retrospective Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Iowa State University Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. 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Xerox University Microfilms 300 North Zeeb Road Ann Arbor, Michigan 48106 76-1820 BAR^, Jirk, 1939- FOLIAR APPLICATION OF PHOSPHORUS COMPOUNDS. Iowa State University, Ph.D., 1975 Agronomy Xerox University Microfilms , Ann Arbor, Michigan 48106 THIS DISSERTATION HAS BEEN MICROFILMED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED. Foliar application of phosphorus compounds by Dirk Barel A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty in Partial Fulfillment of The Requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Department; Agronomy Majors Soil Chemistry Approved! Signature was redacted for privacy. In Charge or major «oric Signature was redacted for privacy. Fo^the Major"Department Signature was redacted for privacy. i-or "cne Co liege lowa State University Ames, Iowa 1975 11 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page I. INTRODUCTION 1 II. LITERATURE REVIEW 5 A. Feasibility of Foliar Applications of Pho spho rus o B. Pathways and Mechanisms for Entry into the Leaves 8 1. Cuticular membranes 9 2. The cell wall 10 3. The plasma membrane 10 4. Mechanism of foliar penetration 11 5. Rate of uptake 1^ 6. Translocation 1^ 7. Leaching of phosphorus 1/ C. Techniques for Measuring the Uptake of Nutrients through Leaf Surfaces 18 D. Phosphorus Sources 22 E. Crop Response to Foliar Applications of Phosphorus 26 F. Crop Responses to Complete Nutrient Sprays 39 G. Special Effects Resuiting from Foliar Applications of Phosphorus 4? H. Comparison of Efficiency of Foliar versus Soil Applications of Phosphorus 51 I. Factors Affecting the Foliar Absorption of Phosphorus 55 1. Leaf age and physiological development 55 2. Upper vs. lower leaf surface 57 3» Dependence on available energy 57 4. Moisture stress 58 5. Influence of surfactants on foliar applications of phosphorus 59 6. Addition of sugars 6l 7. Addition of other adjuvants 62 8. pH of applied solution 63 9. Effect of accompanying cation 64 iii Page 10. The effect of phosphorus in the growth medium on the foliar absorption of phosphorus 65 11. The effect of temperature on foliar absorption 67 12. Energy dependence of foliar absorption 68 13. Effect of urea on the absorption of foliar applied phosphorus 69 14. Effect of solution concentration on phosphorus absorption 69 15. Air humidity and time of application 70 III. REVIS'f OF UNPUBLISHED WORK 71 A. Introduction 71 B. Foliar Application of Several Organic Phosphates to Soybeans 72 C. Effects of Urea and Sucrose 7^ Û. Effect of Neutralization and Addition of Glycols on Phosphorus Absorption 79 E. Absorption of Foliar Applications of Phosphoric Acid by Corn and Soybeans 87 IV. SCREENING OF PHOSPHORUS COMPOUNDS 93 A a Materials and Methods 93 1. Introduction 93 2. Preparation of materials 98 3. Identification and quality control of the products I06 4. Adjustment of pH of phosphorus solutions 109 5. Methods IO9 L. Phosphorus Screening Experiment No. 1 113 1. Introduction 113 2. Procedure 114 3. Results and discussion 120 C. Phosphorus Screening Experiment No, 2 128 1. Introduction 128 2. Procedure 129 iv Page 3. Results and discussion 131 D. Phosphorus Screening Experiment No. 3 1^2 1. Introduction 142 2. Procedure 142 3. Results and discussion 144 E. Phosphorus Screening Experiment No. 4 158 1. Introduction 158 2. Procedure 159 3. Results and discussion I60 ?. Phosphorus Screening Experiment No. 5 164 1. Introduction 164 2= Procedure 164 3. Results and discussion 164 G. Phosphorus Screening Experiment No. 6 I69 1. Introduction I69 2. Procedure I70 3. Results and discussion I7I K. Phosphorus Screening Experiment No. 7 182 1. Introduction 182 2. Procedure .. 182 3. Results and discussion 182 I. Summary and General Discussion 186 V, SOME FACTORS INFLUENCING FOLIAR FERTILIZATION WITH PHOSPHORUS 193 A. Effect of Solution pH» Experiment 8 193 1. Introduction 193 2. Results and discussion 193 B= Effect of Solution pH, Experiment 9 195 1, Introduction I95 2, Results and discusrion 196 G. Effect of Procedural Techniques on the Damage to the Leaves, Experiment 10 209 V Page 1. Introduction 209 2. Procedure 210 3. Results and discussion 210 D. Differential Absorption of Tripolyphosphate by Leaves of Corn Plants of Differing Cytoplasms, Experiment 11 214 1. Introduction 214 2. Katerials and methods 216 3. Results and discussion 216 4. Conclusion ^20 VI. SPRAYING OF WHOLE PLAKTS IN THE GREENHOUSE 222 A. Determination of Maximum Allowable Phos­ phorus Spray Concentration in the Green­ house , Experiment 12 222 1. Introduction 222 2. Procedure 222 3. Results and discussion 222 B. Response of Plants to Spraying with Solutions of Various Phosphates in the Greenhouse, Experiment 13 224 1. Introduction 224 2. Procedure 225 3. Results and discussion 229 C. Response of Corn and Soybeans to Foliar Applications of Phosphates by Brushing, Experiment 14 253 1. Introduction 253 2. Procedure 253 3. Results and discussion 255 VII. C Oi.'IPLETE FOLIAR NUTRITION WITH PHOSPHORUS, EXPERIMENT 15 264 A. Introduction 264 3. Procedure 264 G. Results and Discussion 265 1. Corn 266 2. Soybeans 271 vi Page VIII. EVALUATION OP SEVERAL PHOSPHATES AS FOLIAR SPRAYS IN THE FIELD, EXPERIMENT 16 279 A. Introduction 279 B. Materials and Methods 279 G. Results and Discussion 282 1. Corn 282 2. Soybeans 287 IX. SUmiARY AND CONCLUSIONS 29I X. LITERATURE CITED 302 XI. ACKNOWLEDGMENT 330 XII. APPENDIX 331 1 I. INTRODUCTION Of all the major nutrients, phosphorus is the element in shortest supply in the world economy. It is the one for which agronomists of different countries express the greatest fear of ultimate exhaustion. Unlike many other plant nutri­ ents, phosphorus added to soil as fertilizer generally does not move appreciably from the area of placement. The rapid and tenacious fixation of fertilizer phosphorus added to most soils is general knowledge. Plants recover only a small pro­ portion of the phosphorus supplied as fertilizer. A more efficient method of application would certainly be welcome. Wittwer (1964) pointed out that present-day terrestrial plants, during their evolutionary development from their origin in the oceans, never lost their ability to absorb nutrients and water through their aerial parts. Interest in foliar nutrition has increased tremendously in the past two decades for several reasons. First, concentrated, highly soluble fertilizers have been developed. Second, superior maeliines have been developed and are widely used for spraying insecticides, herbicides» and growth regulators: Third; ad­ vances have been made in the knowledge of surfactants and other adjuvants and in the knowledge of plant physiology in general. With regard to phosphorus fertilizer, there is an increasing awareness of the low recovery by plants of phosphorus applied to the soil as fertilizer. Moreover, the availability