Screening and Evaluation of Wheat Germplasm for Phosphorus Use Efficiency

In the present research work, 13 wheat genotypes (NR-378, NR-379, NR-381, NR-388, NR-390, NR-391, NR-392, NR-399, NR-397, NR-401, NR-403, NR-402 and NR-404) were evaluated against two treatments (T1: 0 mg K2HPO4/kg soil, T2: 200 mg K2HPO4/kg soil) for phosphorus use efficiency in soil filled trays in wooden boxes. The experiments were carried out at Crop Sciences Institute NARC, Islamabad. Experimental design was a two-factor completely randomized design with three replications. Plant samples were collected 40 days after planting and data were recorded for different traits, viz. shoot fresh weight, shoot dry weight, root fresh weight, root dry weight, root length, shoot length, proline contents, soluble sugar, protein concentration, phosphorus uptake and phosphorus use efficiency. Overall, wheat genotypes, NR-397, NR-379, NR-390, NR-403, NR-401, NR-378, NR-404, were found most phosphorus efficient and NR-392 least efficient; however, wheat genotypes, NR-391, NR-399, NR-402, were most efficient in phosphorus use efficiency. Differential response of these wheat genotypes for all the parameters studied under control (P zero) and treatment (P = 200 mg/g) might be due to their different genetic potential. These genetic variations of wheat genotypes for P efficiency can be exploited to develop phosphorus efficient wheat cultivars either through breeding or transfer of P efficient gene by genetic engineering for P-deficient calcareous soils.