Phosphorus, calcium, and magnesium fertilization effects on upland rice in an ultisol

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Abstract
Acid‐related soil infertility is the major constraint to crop production on low‐activity clay soils in the tropics. We investigated the role of phosphorus (P), calcium (Ca), and magnesium (Mg) in alleviating the acid‐related fertility problem in upland rice on an Ultisol in the humid forest zone of West Africa. A field experiment was conducted in 1994 under rainfed condition to determine the response of an acid‐tolerant, upland rice cultivar (WAB 56–50) to the application of P, Ca, and Mg nutrient combinations. Phosphorus alone or in combination with Ca and Mg significantly increased yield and agronomic and physiological P efficiencies and improved harvest index of the crop. Application of Ca and Mg alone or together had a non‐significant effect on yield, elemental composition of plant tissue at tillering, and the uptake of macro‐ and micronutrients at harvest. The results indicate that P deficiency was the most important nutrient disorder in the Ultisol and that the application of Ca and Mg as plant nutrients was initially not as important to the growth, yield, and plant nutrient status of an acid‐tolerant upland rice cultivar.

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