Distinct water and phosphorus extraction patterns are key to maintaining the productivity of sorghum under drought and limited soil resources

    Loftus, S and Sauer, A M and Schneider, E M and Erugoti, L K and Tharanya, M and Rötter, R P and Kholova, J and Ahmed, M A and Dippold, M A (2025) Distinct water and phosphorus extraction patterns are key to maintaining the productivity of sorghum under drought and limited soil resources. Scientific Reports (TSI), 15. pp. 1-15. ISSN 2045-2322

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    Abstract

    Nutrient and water limitations contribute to yield losses in semi-arid regions. Therefore, crop rotations incorporating nitrogen-fixing legumes and drought-tolerant sorghum varieties offer a strategy to improve the utilization of scarce soil resources. Under semi-arid, field-like conditions, sorghum crop rotations with either cowpea pre-crop or fallow, including two early and three late maturing genotypes, were tested to identify stress adaptation traits of sorghum to water and phosphorus limitations. Morphological and physiological parameters were evaluated on a single-plant basis. Lower soil P content significantly delayed flowering compared to higher P levels. However, improved P availability arising from pre-crop residues reduced this effect. Mycorrhizal infection rates and root-to-shoot ratios were positively correlated with panicle N and P content at anthesis under low P conditions. Although drought significantly impacted yield, early maturing genotypes with the highest reduction in shoot biomass and reduced water use before flowering, could sustain yield production. Early-maturing genotypes characterized by high root-to-shoot ratios, rapid AMF establishment, and reduced water use before flowering exhibit a strong potential for maintaining yield and biomass production on nutrient-poor soils in semi-arid regions. Such genotypes conserve water before flowering and thus can alleviate post-flowering water stress, ensuring adequate P uptake despite low soil P availability.

    Item Type: Article
    Divisions: Global Research Program - Accelerated Crop Improvement
    CRP: UNSPECIFIED
    Uncontrolled Keywords: Drought, Multiple resource limitations, Phosphorus, Plant phenological development, Sorghum, Water use
    Subjects: Mandate crops > Sorghum
    Others > Drought
    Others > Soil Science
    Depositing User: Mr Nagaraju T
    Date Deposited: 16 Apr 2025 05:51
    Last Modified: 16 Apr 2025 05:51
    URI: http://oar.icrisat.org/id/eprint/13032
    Official URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-88705-x
    Projects: UNSPECIFIED
    Funders: UNSPECIFIED
    Acknowledgement: We appreciate the help of the Centre for Stable Isotope Research and Analysis (KOSI) of the University of Goettingen. Also, we thank for the technical support of Rheka Baddam, Karin Schmidt, Pratiksha Acharya, Prashanth Prasanna, Lukas Wagner, Vinay K. R. Challa, Isabel Barsties, and Patrick Tantzen. We acknowledge support by the Open Access Publication Funds of the Göttingen University.
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