1. After completing this Unit, you will be able to answer: 1.What is the role of phosphorus in plants? 2.How phosphorus application is important for pearl millet crop? 3.Why entire phosphorus application is applied as basal dose? 4.What is the method of phosphorus application to pearl millet? Units Virtual Academy for the Semi Arid Tropics Lesson 2: Importance of Primary Nutrients Course on Pearl Millet Production Practices Module V: Pearl Millet Plant Nutrition Unit 2: Phosphorus Nutrition

2. Virtual Academy for the Semi Arid Tropics Lesson 2: Importance of Primary Nutrients Course on Pearl Millet Production Practices Module V: Pearl Millet Plant Nutrition Unit 2: Phosphorus Nutrition Phosphorus is essential to provide energy for the growth and development of pearl millet plants. Phosphorus is to a plant what wheels are for a car. As a car cannot run on flat tyre even if the petrol tank is full, without phosphorus plant cannot grow even nitrogen supply is in plenty. Phosphorus availability helps in increased efficiency of nitrogen use by plants.

3. Virtual Academy for the Semi Arid Tropics Lesson 2: Importance of Primary Nutrients Course on Pearl Millet Production Practices Module V: Pearl Millet Plant Nutrition Unit 2: Phosphorus Nutrition Pearl millet plants take phosphorus from seedling stage up to grain filling stage. So, phosphorus should be available to plants through out their growth. Also, phosphorus uptake was found to increase with increased availability of nitrogen.

4. Virtual Academy for the Semi Arid Tropics Lesson 2: Importance of Primary Nutrients Course on Pearl Millet Production Practices Module V: Pearl Millet Plant Nutrition Unit 2: Phosphorus Nutrition It is a good practice and also economical to apply phosphorus based on soil- test recommendations. Entire phosphorus should be applied at the time of sowing along with nitrogen fertilizer. Phosphorus is not lost due to leaching.

5. Virtual Academy for the Semi Arid Tropics Lesson 2: Importance of Primary Nutrients Course on Pearl Millet Production Practices Module V: Pearl Millet Plant Nutrition Unit 2: Phosphorus Nutrition Furrow placement or side dressing is the best method of phosphorus application in the soil. This method of application minimizes the fixation of phosphorus in the soil. Phosphorus fixation means unavailability of phosphorus for plants’ use. Placement Side Dressing

6. Virtual Academy for the Semi Arid Tropics Lesson 2: Importance of Primary Nutrients Course on Pearl Millet Production Practices Module V: Pearl Millet Plant Nutrition Unit 2: Phosphorus Nutrition Side Dressing of phosphorus fertilizer

7. Virtual Academy for the Semi Arid Tropics Lesson 2: Importance of Primary Nutrients Course on Pearl Millet Production Practices Module V: Pearl Millet Plant Nutrition Unit 2: Phosphorus Nutrition Pearl millet seeds are sensitive to fertilizer burn. Do not apply fertilizer in the furrow with the seed or very near the seed in the row after sowing. Single super phosphate is a good source of phosphorus as it also contains calcium (19.5%), sulphur (12.5%) in addition to phosphorus (16%). Super phosphate also contains zinc and magnesium in traces.

8. With this, the Unit 2 on Phosphorus Nutrition in this Lesson concludes. The next Unit in this Lesson is about potassium nutrition in pearl millet. Select Unit 2 of Lesson 2 in Module V contents Virtual Academy for the Semi Arid Tropics Lesson 2: Importance of Primary Nutrients Course on Pearl Millet Production Practices Module V: Pearl Millet Plant Nutrition