Dryland, 3 foot row spacing, plant population 16800/ha
Roundup ready yellow and white maize, with chilo resistant gene
summer rainfall 400-600mm
N = 80kg / ha P = 20 kg/ha clean element K = 4.5kg / ha clean element
Urea based N, MAP(33%) based P, KCL(50%) based K
time to physilogical ripeness = 126 days
ave temp during season -> 19 deg celsius - 42 deg celsius
You may compare the following parameters:
1. Ion concentration in the rhizosphere in both the cases.
2. Rhizosphere pH and redox potential difference
3. Rhizodeposition and root exudates quality
I feel , first most conspicuous observation would be the change in rhizsophere environment in terms of microbial diversity followed by bioavailability of different nutrients and nutrient density of the crop , to be late computed for NUE ..
I think ion concentration in the root surface and its rate of uptake by the root itself is more important. Further, total accumulation of ions in the rhizosphere due to application of different source of fertilizer is also important. Effective microbial development in the rhizosphere is needed. Higher microbial build up not always supports the higher nutrient uptake.
You are growing maize, try to look at AM diversity , soil SOC pool as labile to non-labile fraction, harvest index of crop and time of crop maturity must also be taken into consideration..Its equally important to consider certain conventional parameters to be able to judge the response of treatments in a tangible way, instead of having range of observations having no relevance whatsoever...
Another important aspect to compare is the metabolic activity. In order of ions or other solutes to accumulate against a concentration gradient , an expenditure of energy is required, either directly or indirectly. The main source of energy in nonphotosynthesizing cells or tissues (including roots) is respiration. Thus, all factors which affect respiration may also influence nutrient/ions accumulation. For example, if oxygen tension decreases, the uptake of ions such as K and Phosphate falls. You may also find close correlation between carbohydrate content and uptake of ions; example, K (Mengel, 1962).
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