RELATIONSHIP OF SOIL FERTILITY TO COLD HARDINESS OF WINTER WHEAT CROWNS

Abstract

In two controlled-environment experiments, N fertilizer applied to a Dark Brown prairie soil decreased cold hardiness of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), while P applied in the absence of N had little effect. When applied together, P counteracted the effect of N and produced plants as hardy as those that had received no fertilizer. The soil was rich in K; consequently application of additional amounts of this element had no effect on cold hardiness. The correlation coefficient between dry weight of crowns and cold hardiness (LT 50 ) was not sigificant, but that between water content and LT 50 was highly significant.