Year: 2026 | Month: April | Volume: 13 | Issue: 4 | Pages: 137-144
DOI: https://doi.org/10.52403/ijrr.20260414
Hydroponic Screening of Arid Crop Genotypes for Phosphorus Mobilization Efficiency via Acid Phosphatase and Phytase Activity
Amita Gharu Dhariwal
Department of Chemistry, Jai Narain Vyas University, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India
ABSTRACT
Phosphorus deficiency is a major limitation to crop productivity in arid and semi-arid regions, where a large proportion of soil phosphorus remains unavailable to plants. The current study aimed to identify effective genotypes of arid crop species based on their capacity to mobilize phosphorus via enzyme-mediated mechanisms under regulated hydroculture conditions. Ten genotypes representing five important arid crops were evaluated under phosphorus-sufficient and phosphorus-deficient conditions at different growth stages. The activities of acid phosphatase and phytase were measured as key indicators of phosphorus mobilization.
The results showed considerable variation among crops and genotypes, with enzyme activity consistently increasing under phosphorus-deficient conditions and with plant age. Among the crops studied, pearl millet exhibited the highest enzyme activity, followed by moth bean and mung bean, indicating their superior capacity to mobilize phosphorus under stress conditions. In contrast, sorghum showed relatively lower phytase activity. Overall, the findings demonstrate that enzymatic responses play an essential role in phosphorus acquisition and highlight the effectiveness of hydroculture systems for screening nutrient-efficient genotypes. The superior genotypes identified in this study have potential for use in breeding programs aimed at improving phosphorus-use efficiency in arid environments.
Keywords: Acid phosphatase, Arid crops, Genotypic variation, Hydroponic screening, Phosphorus deficiency, Phosphorus mobilization, Phytase activity
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