Phosphorus requirement and partitioning in oat cultivars

ABSTRACT: Maintenance fertilization changes with nutrient requirements and partitioning, but these are not well known for oat cultivars. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether phosphorus (P) requirements and partitioning vary among cultivars of oat (Avena sativa L.). The UPFA ‘Ouro’, UPFPS ‘Farroupilha’, IPR ‘Afrodite’, URS ‘FAPA Slava’, ‘Barbarasul’, ‘FAEM 007’, URS ‘Taura’, and ‘URS 21’ were cultivated in a Latosol with high P content in a greenhouse in 2015. Plants were sampled at physiological maturity and divided into roots, stem, leaves, and grain tissues. Phosphorus content and the dry matter weight of these parts were evaluated and the uptake amount and partitioning of P were estimated. The values of these variables differed across cultivars, except the P content in the grain (‘average’, 4.0g P kg-1). ‘Afrodite’ and ‘FAPA Slava’ have lower requirements and partitioning of P in the grain, but these did not vary among the other cultivars. Requirements and partitioning of P in stem and leaves increased in the following order: ‘Ouro’ and ‘Farroupilha’<‘Taura’ and ‘FAPA Slava’<‘URS 21’<‘Afrodite’, ‘Barbarasul’ and ‘FAEM 007’. Requirement and partitioning of P in roots, stem, leaves, and grain differs across cultivars, which indicates that this factor, besides how the oat is used (such as for grain, pasture, silage, cover crop), can be used to improve maintenance fertilization.