Interaction of ammonium and nitrate nutrition with potassium in wheat

A greenhouse experiment with wheat in 3L pots filled with a sandy loam soil in a factorial design was conducted to determine the effect of potassium on nitrogen utilization. Nitrogen was applied in three NH₄-N/NO₃-N ratios, 0/100, 25/75 and 50/50, at three levels: 0.75, 1.50 and 3.00gN/pot, and potassium was applied at three levels: 0, 0.5 and 1.0gK/pot. The higher levels of nitrate nitrogen with or without potassium reduced dry matter yields drastically, while the same levels of a NH₄-N/NO₃-N mixture of 50/50 with applied potassium reduced yields only slightly. Highest grain yield and total yield were obtained with a 25/75 mixture of ammonium/nitrate nitrogen with added potassium. Potassium addition to soil increased the utilization of nitrogen fertilizers, particularly when the ratio of ammonium to nitrate was increased. The highest uptake of reduced nitrogen was at the highest level of the ammonium to nitrate nitrogen ratio (50/50) when potassium was applied. Tillering was enhanced by an increased ammonium ratio in the nitrogen mixture, and by potassium.