Evaluation of ammonium polyphosphate fertilizer as a carrier of zinc

Ammonium polyphosphate (APP) and diammonium orthophosphate (DAP) were evaluated as carriers of zinc in an Ultisol and a Vertisol. Surface applications of 65Zn along with urea or orthophosphate or pyrophosphate or polyphosphate to the two soils indicated very little movement of the radionuclide below 2 cm from surface in both soils on leaching with rain water. Greenhouse experiments with maize and red kidney beans grown in sequence in the two soils fertilized with APP and DAP both blended with 65Zn (as ZnSO4.7H2O) indicated that while the Zn fertilizer use efficiency of Zn-APP blend was significantly higher than that of Zn-DAP blend for maize, their residual value was equal for the succeeding bean crop. Experiments with maize-greengram sequence indicated superiority of Zn-APP blend only in Vertisol, while in Ultisol both the blends were equally effective. A field experiments with flooded rice indicated increased grain yield with application of Zn at 22 kg Zn ha-1. Neither P nor Zn application had any significant effect on straw yield. Grain and straw Zn concentrations increased significantly by the applications of both P and Zn. At zero or low levels of applied Zn, APP was significantly superior to DAP as a P source; while at higher dose of Zn, no significant difference was noted between the two P sources. (author). 18 refs, 5 tabs