Phosphorus Uptake and Utilisation Efficiencies of Different Wheat Cultivars Based on a Sand-Culture Screening System

<正>A sand-based culture system using rock phosphate (P) was developed to simulate the situation in alkaline soils, with respect to the dominant P form, and five wheat cultivars (Excalibur, Brookton, Krichauff, Westonia and Sunco) were tested in this screening system to compare their P uptake and utilisation efficiencies. Results showed that these cultivars differed significantly in their ability to acquire P from the sparingly available form (rock phosphate in this case). The accumulation of P by Brookton was three times that by Krichauff. P concentrations in plant tissues did not differ significantly, indicating that all cultivars were similar in P utilisation efficiency. A further experiment showed that the greater ability of a cultivar to take up P from sparingly available form was related to the ability of a cultivar to acidify the rhizosphere. Seed P content was a confounding factor in this system, and the use of relatively uniform seed with similar P content, preferably low, was conducive to a success