Impact of phosphorus fertilization on the yield and quality of various Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) varieties in light chestnut soils

Year 2024, , 328 - 337, 30.09.2024

Nariman Massaliyev Sara Ramazanova Karlyga Karayeva Zhuldyz Oshakbayeva Aigul Zhamangarayeva Ashirali Smanov Nurymzhan Aubakirov Saken Duisekov

https://doi.org/10.18393/ejss.1521142

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of phosphorus fertilization on the yield and quality of various alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) varieties grown in light chestnut soils. Conducted over a three-year period from 2013 to 2015, the research was carried out in the Karasay district of the Almaty region under irrigated conditions. The experiment included six alfalfa varieties: NS Alfa, VS Banat, Mediana, Nera, Niagara, and Kokoray. Four phosphorus treatments were applied: control (no phosphorus), 60 kg/ha (P60), 90 kg/ha (P90), and 120 kg/ha (P120), using double superphosphate as the phosphorus source. The results demonstrated that phosphorus fertilization significantly enhanced both the yield and quality of alfalfa. Across all varieties, the highest yield was observed with the application of 120 kg/ha phosphorus. For instance, NS Alfa's yield increased from 283.3 c/ha in the control to 349.7 c/ha with P120, reflecting a 23% increase. Similarly, VS Banat and Mediana exhibited yield increases of 23% and 25%, respectively, at the highest phosphorus level. The study also revealed improvements in the nutritional quality of alfalfa hay. Crude protein content increased from 20.3% to 22.0% in NS Alfa, while digestible protein content rose from 11.20% to 12.40%. Other quality parameters, including fat and carotene content, also improved significantly with higher phosphorus levels. Moreover, the availability of nitrate nitrogen and mobile phosphorus in the soil increased progressively with higher phosphorus application rates, contributing to better nutrient uptake and overall plant health. This research underscores the importance of phosphorus fertilization in maximizing alfalfa yield and quality. The findings suggest that the optimal phosphorus application rate for enhancing alfalfa production in light chestnut soils is 120 kg/ha, providing valuable insights for sustainable agricultural practices in similar agro-ecological zones.

Keywords

Phosphorus fertilization, Alfalfa yield, Alfalfa quality, Light chestnut soils, Sustainable agriculture

References

• Alimkhanov, Y., Yeleshev, R., Yertayeva, B., Aitbayeva, A., 2021. Responses of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) varieties to NPK fertilization on tuber yield in the Southeast of Kazakhstan. Eurasian Journal of Soil Science 10(4): 285 - 289.
• Al-Kahtani, S.N., Taha, E.A., Al-Abdulsalam, M., 2017. Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) seed yield in relation to phosphorus fertilization and honeybee pollination. Saudi Journal of Biological Sciences 24(5): 1051-1055.
• Ament, M. R., Tierney, J. A., Hedin, L. O., Hobbie, E. A., Wurzburger, N., 2018. Phosphorus and species regulate N2 fixation by herbaceous legumes in longleaf pine savannas. Oecologia 187(1): 281–290.
• Baral, B.R., Kuyper, T.W., Van Groenigen, J.W., 2014. Liebig’s law of the minimum applied to a greenhouse gas: Alleviation of P-limitation reduces soil N2O emission. Plant and Soil 374(1): 539–548.
• Berg, W.K., Cunningham, S.M., Brouder, S.M., Joern, B.C., Johnson, K.D., Santini, J., Volenec, J.J., 2005. Influence of phosphorus and potassium on alfalfa yield and yield components. Crop Science 45: 297–304.
• Buglass, E., 1964. Seed production of crested wheatgrass as influenced by various management practices. Canadian Journal of Plant Science 44: 66-74.
• Campbell, T.A., He, Y., 1997. Factorial analysis of selfincompatibility in alfalfa. Canadian Journal of Plant Science 77: 69-73.
• Capstaff, N.M., Miller, A.J., 2018. Improving the yield and nutritional quality of forage crops. Frontiers in Plant Science 9: 535.
• Chen, H., Gurmesa, G. A., Zhang, W., Zhu, X., Zheng, M., Mao, Q., Zhang, T., Mo, J., 2016. Nitrogen saturation in humid tropical forests after 6 years of nitrogen and phosphorus addition: Hypothesis testing. Functional Ecology 30(2): 305–313.
• Chen, H., Zhang, W., Gurmesa, G. A., Zhu, X., Li, D., Mo, J., 2017. Phosphorus addition affects soil nitrogen dynamics in a nitrogen-saturated and two nitrogen-limited forests. European Journal of Soil Science 68(4): 472–479.
• El-Hifny, M.Z., Bakheit, B.R., Hassan, M.S., El-Rady, W.A.A., 2019. Forage and seed yield variation of alfalfa cultivars in response to planting date. SVU-International Journal of Agricultural Science 1: 21-33.
• Fisk, M.C., Ratliff, T.J., Goswami, S., Yanai, R.D., 2014. Synergistic soil response to nitrogen plus phosphorus fertilization in hardwood forests. Biogeochemistry 118(1): 195–204.
• Galyean, M.L., 2010. Laboratory procedures in animal nutrition research. Texas Tech University, Lubbock. Available at Access date: 01.12.2023: https://www.depts.ttu.edu/agriculturalsciences/vetSciences/mgalyean/lab_man.pdf
• Havlin, J.L., Beaton, J.D., Tisdale, S.L. Nelson, W.L., 2005. Soil Fertility and Fertilizers: An Introduction to Nutrient Management. 7th Edition, Pearson Educational, Inc., Upper Saddle River, New Jersey. 515p.
• Houlton, B.Z., Wang, Y.P., Vitousek, P.M., Field, C.B., 2008. A unifying framework for dinitrogen fixation in the terrestrial biosphere. Nature 454(7202): 327–330.
• İslamzade, R., Hasanova, G., Asadova, S., 2023. Impact of varied NPK fertilizer application rates and seed quantities on barley yield and soil nutrient availability in chestnut soil of Azerbaijan. Eurasian Journal of Soil Science 12(4): 371 - 381.
• Jones, J.B., 2001. Laboratory guide for conducting soil tests and plant analyses. CRC Press, New York, USA. 363p.
• Kamzina, G., Seilgazina, S., Suleimenova, S., Zakieva, A., Zhamangarayeva, A., 2022. The effects of NPK fertilization on hay production and some yield components of crested wheatgrass (Agropyron cristatum) in the dry steppe zone of Eastern Kazakhstan. Eurasian Journal of Soil Science 11(4): 337-344.
• Khan, F, Siddique, A.B., Shabala, S., Zhou, M., Zhao, C., 2023. Phosphorus plays key roles in regulating plants’ physiological responses to abiotic stresses. Plants 12(15): 2861.
• Li, S., Liu, Z., 2024. Fertilisation and environmental factors affect the yield and quality of alfalfa in China. Plant, Soil and Environment 70(5): 276–286.
• Liu, H., Li, N., Shen, G., Fu, Y., Wang, X., 2013. Effects of phosphorus fertilizer on the growth and seed yield of alfalfa. Acta Agrestia Sinca 21: 571-575.
• Liu, M., Zhao, Z., Chen, L., Wang, L., Ji, L., Xiao, Y., 2020. Influences of arbuscular mycorrhizae, phosphorus fertiliser and biochar on alfalfa growth, nutrient status and cadmium uptake. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 196: 110537.
• Loeppky, H., Horton, P., Bittman, S., Townley-Smith, L., Wright, T., Nuttall, W., 1999. Forage seed yield response to N and P fertilizers and soil nutrients in northeastern Saskatchewan. Canadian Journal of Soil Science 79: 265-271.
• Macolino, S., Lauriault, L.M., Rimi,F., Ziliotto, U., 2013. Phosphorus and potassium fertilizer effects on alfalfa and soil in a non-limited soil. Agronomy Journal 105: 1613–1618.
• Madani, H., Stoklosa, A., Zarei, J., Usefi, Z., 2014. Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) Forage yield responses to triple super phosphate, phosphate solublizing bacteria and gibberllic acid foliar application. Agronomy 57: 246–249.
• Marschner, H., 1995. Mineral Nutrition of Higher Plants. 2nd Edition. Academic Press. 889p.
• Maxotova, A., Nurbayeva, E., Aitbayev, Т., Nurgaliyeva, B., 2021. Yield and yield components of five tomato varieties (Solanum lycopersicum) as influenced by chemical NPK fertilizer applications under chestnut soil conditions. Eurasian Journal of Soil Science 10(4): 327 - 331.
• McLaren, J.R., Buckeridge, K.M., 2019. Decoupled above- and belowground responses to multi-decadal nitrogen and phosphorus amendments in two tundra ecosystems. Ecosphere 10(7): e02735.
• Medinski, T., Freese, D., Reitz, T., 2018. Changes in soil phosphorus balance and phosphorus-use efficiency under long-term fertilization conducted on agriculturally used Chernozem in Germany. Canadian Journal of Soil Science 98: 650-662.
• Mehnaz, K.R., Corneo, P.E., Keitel, C., Dijkstra, F.A., 2019. Carbon and phosphorus addition effects on microbial carbon use efficiency, soil organic matter priming, gross nitrogen mineralization and nitrous oxide emission from soil. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 134: 175–186.
• Meng, X., Chen, W.W., Wang, Y.Y., Huang, Z.R., Ye, X., Chen, L.S., Yang, L.T., 2021. Effects of phosphorus deficiency on the absorption of mineral nutrients, photosynthetic system performance and antioxidant metabolism in Citrus grandis. PLoS ONE 16(2): e0246944.
• Mori, T., Ohta, S., Ishizuka, S., Konda, R., Wicaksono, A., Heriyanto, J., Hardjono, A., 2013. Effects of phosphorus addition with and without ammonium, nitrate, or glucose on N2O and NO emissions from soil sampled under Acacia mangium plantation and incubated at 100% of the water-filled pore space. Biology and Fertility of Soils 49(1): 13–21.
• Mori, T., Ohta, S., Ishizuka, S., Konda, R., Wicaksono, A., Heriyanto, J., 2014. Phosphorus application reduces N2O emissions from tropical leguminous plantation soil when phosphorus uptake is occurring. Biology and Fertility of Soils 50(1): 45–51.
• Muminova, S., Tastanbekova, G., Kashkarov, A., Azhimetova, G., Balgabaev, A., 2022. Effect of foliar mineral fertilizer and plant growth regulator application on seed yield and yield components of soybean (Glycine max) cultivars. Eurasian Journal of Soil Science 11(4): 322-328.
• Saparov, A., 2014. Soil resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan: Current status, problems and solutions. In: Novel measurement and assessment tools for monitoring and management of land and water resources in agricultural landscapes of Central Asia. Mueller, L., Saparov, A., Lischeid, G. (Eds.). Environmental Science and Engineering. Springer, Cham. pp 61–73.
• Scott, J.T., Lambie, S.M., Stevenson, B.A., Schipper, L.A., Parfitt, R.L., McGill, A.C., 2015. Carbon and nitrogen leaching under high and low phosphate fertility pasture with increasing nitrogen inputs. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment 202: 139–147.
• Sengul, S., 2006. Using path analysis to determine lucerne (Medicago sativa L.) seed yield and its components. New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research 49: 107-115.
• Stiles, W.A.V., Rowe, E.C., Dennis, P., 2017. Long-term nitrogen and phosphorus enrichment alters vegetation species composition and reduces carbon storage in upland soil. The Science of the Total Environment 593–594: 688–694.
• Sumner, M.E., Farina, M.P.W., 1986. Phosphorus interactions with other nutrients and lime in field cropping systems. In: Advances in Soil Science. Stewart, B.A. (Ed.). Vol 5. Springer, New York, NY. pp 201–236.
• Suwignyo, B., Rini, E. A., Helmiyati, S., 2022. The profile of tropical alfalfa in Indonesia: a review. Saudi Journal of Biological Sciences 30: 103504.
• Wang, Q., Qin, Z.H., Zhang, W.W., Chen, Y.H., Zhu, P., Peng, C., Wang, L., Zhang, S.X., Colinet, G., 2022. Effect of long-term fertilization on phosphorus fractions in different soil layers and their quantitative relationships with soil properties. Journal of Integrative Agriculture 21(9): 2720-2733.
• Wang, Z.H., Li, S.X., Malhi, S., 2008. Effects of fertilization and other agronomic measures on nutritional quality of crops. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 88(1): 7-23.
• Wu, Q.H., Zhang, S.X., Feng, G., Zhu, P., Huang, S.M., Wang, B.R., Xu, M.G., 2020. Determining the optimum range of soil Olsen P for high P use efficiency, crop yield, and soil fertility in three typical cropland soils. Pedosphere 30: 832-843.
• Xu, L., Tang, G., Wu, D., Zhang, J., 2024. Yield and nutrient composition of forage crops and their effects on soil characteristics of winter fallow paddy in South China. Frontiers in Plant Science 14: 1292114.
• Yıldız, F., Türk, M., 2015. Effects of phosphorus fertilization on forage yield and quality of common Vetch (Vicia sativa Roth.). Yuzuncu Yıl University Journal of Agricultural Sciences 25(2): 134-139.
• Yu, L., Wang, Y., Zhang, X., Dörsch, P., Mulder, J., 2017. Phosphorus addition mitigates N2O and CH4 emissions in N-saturated subtropical forest, SW China. Biogeosciences 14(12): 3097–3109.
• Zhaksybayeva, G., Balgabayev, A., Vassilina, T., Shibikeyeva, A., Malimbayeva, A., 2022. Yield of sugar beet and changes in phosphorus fractions in relation to long term P fertilization in chestnut soil of Kazakhstan. Eurasian Journal of Soil Science 11(1): 25-32.