Assessment of Inter- and Intraspecific P Efficiency in Forage Legumes as Affected by Recycling Fertiliser

Abstract

Legumes have a high demand for phosphorus (P) due to energetically costly biological nitrogen fixation, but they also have effective physiological and morphological strategies for P mobilization. To evaluate the inter- and intraspecific P efficiency of small-grain legumes supplied with different P recycling fertilisers, eight accessions each of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) and red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) were cultivated in two pot experiments under greenhouse conditions until the flowering stage. To substantiate the results, some accessions were used in both experiments. Five treatments (no P, triple-superphosphate (TSP), sewage sludge ash (SSA), biowaste compost (compost), and struvite) were considered P sources. In addition to plant P uptake, the soil P pools were analysed in detail. Red clover showed higher yields and nutrient uptakes compared to alfalfa, but intraspecific effects were marginal. The addition of P resulted only partly in an increase in yield, despite the low P content in the soil. While struvite application clearly enhanced the P uptake of the plants in both experiments, SSA application had no effect compared to the control. The same treatment effect occurs with the bio-available soil P contents, which were on average 72.6 mg kg−1 after struvite and 44.3 mg kg−1 after SSA addition. Struvite as a P source was especially effective when applied to red clover. Our study aligns with previous field results and underscores the high potential of P mobilization of small-grain legumes without pronounced inter- or intraspecific differences. While struvite is suitable as a P fertiliser, the application of SSA to legumes is not recommended.