Nutrient Concentration and Its Uptake in Various Stages of Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) as Influenced by Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium Fertilization

Effective management of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) are crucial for increasing crop production and productivity as they are associated with a number of enzymatic and physiological activities in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Field experiments were carried out during the winters of 2019˗˗20 and 2020˗˗21 to study the influence of varying levels of N, P, and K on crop performance, nutrient concentration, and uptake at various growth stages of wheat in mid-hill of Nepal. The study was conducted with factorial combinations of three N levels (100, 125, and 150 kg N ha−1), three P levels (25, 50, and 75 kg P2O5 ha−1) and three K levels (25, 50, and 75 kg K2O ha−1) in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Increasing N and K rates significantly (p < .05) increased total dry matter, grain yield, nutrient concentrations and uptakes in wheat. Pooled means showed significantly higher grain yields of 6.3 t ha−1 were obtained with N @ 125 kg ha−1, and K2O @ 50 kg ha−1 than lower rates. At maturity, average concentrations of N, P, and K in grain were 15.5, 3.6, and 5.8 g kg−1, respectively, and 5.4, 0.9, and 10.9 g kg−1 in straw, respectively, depending on the rate of NPK applied. N and P were mostly accumulated in wheat grain, whereas K was found higher in wheat straw than in grain. The nutrient concentration values of grain and straw can be used as a reference for determining nutrient removal from soil using a yield-based technique in wheat.