A study of the effect of modern agricultural practice on the growth physiology of two crop plants, with special reference to fertilizer treatments

Abstract

Samples of 'tic' field beans and 'Atle' wheat from the separately farmed Organic, Mixed and Stockless sections of Haughley Research Farms have been examined, in order to determine whether any physiological differences have been evolved as a result of the three different farming methods over twenty nine years. There were shown to be significant differences in germination success, the M seeds being only half as successful as seeds from the other two sections, a result which was probably dependent on the degree of fungal attack on the seeds. There were some significant differences in plant growth rates, and response to fertilizer. In general, plants showed the greatest growth rates but no response to fertilizer, whereas M and S plants showed poorer growth and required the stimulus of fertilizer to attain the same growth rate as the 0 plants. M and S plants without fertilizer showed a time-lag of some two weeks before growth began to increase rapidly, but subsequently over-topped the fertilized M and S individuals. Potassium added as fertiliser was taken up, the highest concentrations being found in M tissues; nitrate concentrations of wheat shoots were double those of bean shoots and M plants consistently showed the highest levels. The implications of these results for agricultural practice are considered; but it is pointed out that the hypotheses must be tested and all results repeated and confirmed by extensive fertilizer trials and growth analyses of plants in the field and in constant environment chambers.