Evaluation of some sources of fertilizer phosphorus in two cycles of a paddy-wheat cropping sequence

SUMMARY A field experiment was made on Gurdaspur clay loam to assess the relative efficiency of various sources of fertilizer phosphorus for a paddy-wheat cropping sequence. Urea ammonium phosphate, superphosphate, a nitrophosphate fertilizer containing 30% water-soluble P and fertilizers containing 50 and 70% water-soluble P prepared from the nitrophosphate and superphosphate, dicalcium phosphate and rock phosphate were applied to the paddy crop at the rate of 0, 15, 30, 45 and 60 kg p 2 O 6 /ha and to wheat at double these rates. The cumulative yield data for paddy and wheat show a slight reduction in efficiency of phosphatio fertilizers, with the exception of dicalcium phosphate, as their watersoluble content decreased below 70%. In general, the relative efficiency of the less water-soluble sources and of rock phosphate was considerably higher for paddy than for wheat. The results show that the relative efficiency of low water-soluble phosphate fertilizers increased with time. The efficiency of phosphorus fertilizers declined with the rate of their application, more so in the case of higher water-soluble materials.