A Note on the Effects of Phosphorus and Nitrogen Fertilizers on Chemical Composition of Pearl Millet (Pennisetum glaucum L.) Grains

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted for two consecutive seasons (1999/2000 and 2000/2001) at the University of Zalengi, Western Darfur State, Sudan, to study the effects of phosphorus and nitrogen fertilizers on the chemical composition of pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum L.) grains. A local pearl millet cultivar (Darmassa) was used as a test crop. The treatments consisted of four nitrogen (0, 30, 60, 80 kg N/ha) and four phosphorus (0, 15, 30, 60 kg P2O5/ha) rates, using urea (46% N) and triple superphosphate (48% P2O5) as sources of nitrogen and phosphorus, respectively. The experimental design was split plot with five replicates, allocating nitrogen to the main and phosphorus to the subplots. The results showed that nitrogen significantly increased grain protein content in both seasons, while phosphorus caused a consistent increase in grain protein and phosphorus contents in both seasons, but the increase was significant in the second season only. As for the other grain constituents (K, Ca, Mg,), they were not affected by any of the treatments. Moreover, there were no significant interactions between the treatments.