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Title: GROWTH AND PHOSPHORUS ACCUMULATION OF BROMEGRASS FOLLOWING PHOSPHONATE APPLICATION

Author
item BOEHM, J - IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY
item Kovar, John
item ALLAN, D - UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA

Submitted to: ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/6/2003
Publication Date: 11/6/2003
Citation: Boehm, J.L., Kovar, J.L., Allan, D.L. 2003. Growth and phosphorus accumulation of bromegrass following phosphonate application. ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting Abstracts. CD-ROM. Madison, WI.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Methods to remediate high phosphorus (P) soils are of interest to minimize P losses to surface water. Phytoremediation is one practice that can be used to remove P from areas with extremely high soil P. Previous research suggests that treatment with phosphonate, an active ingredient in common fungicides, may induce hyperaccumulation of P in some plant species. Two pot studies were conducted in a controlled environment to evaluate the ability of phosphonate to induce smooth bromegrass (Bromus inermis) to accumulate more P from soil than untreated control plants. In the first study, smooth bromegrass was grown in a Clarion silt loam soil with very high (80 mg kg-1) Bray-1 P, and received foliar applications of 22 and 76 kg ha-1 phosphonate. Plants receiving the higher rate of phosphonate had significantly higher P concentration in leaf tissue (3826.89 micrograms g-1) than the control plants (3547.31 micrograms g-1). In the second study, smooth bromegrass was grown in a Clarion soil with an optimum (13 mg kg-1) level of Bray-1 P, and received phosphonate treatments of 54 and 108 kg ha-1. Tissue P concentration did not increase in this second study. No differences were found in root or above-ground biomass between phosphonate-treated plants and control plants in either study. With further study, phosphonate application could be used to induce hyperaccumulation of P by riparian buffer grasses, reducing the potential for P to enter adjacent surface water.