Phosphate Fertilizer Type and Liming Affect the Growth and Phosphorus Uptake of Two Maize Cultivars
, Peteh Mehdi Nkebiwe 2, Jens Hartung 3, Sebastian Munz 1, Shoubing Huang 4, Shunli Zhou 4 and Simone Graeff-Hönninger 1
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
Line 62-63: Confirm this. rock phosphate has a pH of more than 7. How can liming which is raising the soil pH above 6 enhance P release from RP. In actual sense, RP requires acidulation with for example organic acids to chelate the mineral and release the bound-P.
Line 107: On Table 1 – Consider splitting the 2021 results to show characteristics for each plot or treatments (DAP, RP) as opposed to pulling the results together.
Line 261: Figure 3 - It would have been good to see the interaction effect of cultivar and P-fertilizers under lime and no lime. For instance what was the performance of Stabil under No-P, RP and under DAP when liming was done and when liming was not done.
Line 368: Several studies have been done already. Use of sulphur, milk sludge, organic acids etc
N/A
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Reviewer 2 Report
The respected editor
Dear Sir/ Madam
The manuscript entitled "Phosphate fertilizer type and liming affect growth and phosphorus uptake of two maize cultivars" was reviewed. The manuscript about the effects of different sources of phosphorus on two maize cultivars yield and P accumulation in shoot tissue. The article and experiment are designed, implemented and written properly. Especially, this improvement is more visible in the second year, when a treatment without phosphorus application was also added to the experiment. In the parts that need more explanation from the authors, it is mentioned in the text that they should be answered. There is an item at the end of the material, which is an explanation of the model and statistical analysis. This part, despite the extensive explanation, is very confusing and it is suggested to make this part more concise. Other parts are written appropriately and comprehensively.
Therefore, I declare that, in my opinion, the manuscript can be suitable for acceptance and publication.
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Reviewer 3 Report
The final decision for the paper "Phosphate fertilizer type and liming affect growth and phosphorus uptake of two maize cultivars" is to publish. I enjoyed reading this paper very much.
The paper entitled " Phosphate fertilizer type and liming affect growth and phosphorus uptake of two maize cultivars" by Fangfang Ning, Peteh Mehdi Nkebiwe , Jens Hartung , Sebastian Munz, Shoubing Huang, Shunli Zhouand Simone Graeff-Hönninger investigate the effects of P-fertilizer type and liming on maize growth. Phosphate fertilizer and liming effect are very important in maize production. The manuscript is a valuable supplement to research carried out so far in other research centers. The method and experimental design are straightforward, clear and show innovation in implementing and analyzing specific fertilization strategies for agricultural maize systems. The obtained results will be an indication for researchers and farmers. The paper submitted is generally well-written and organized.
My congratulations to the authors!
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