Leaf Nutrient Resorption in Lucerne Decreases with Relief of Relative Soil Nutrient Limitation under Phosphorus and Potassium Fertilization with Irrigation

Leaf nutrient resorption is an important mechanism in adapting to adverse environments. However, few studies examine how nutrient resorption responds to phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) fertilization or to a shift in nutrient limitation due to water supply and fertilization. On the Loess Plateau of China, we treated lucerne (Medicago sativa L.) with P, K, or combined P and K fertilizer and three levels of water supply. The resorption efficiency of leaf P (PRE) and K (KRE) decreased with increasing water supply, whereas that of N (NRE) was unaffected. The water supply regulated the effects of P and K fertilization on resorption efficiency. With low water, P fertilization reduced NRE and significantly increased KRE. Potassium fertilization did not affect KRE and NRE, whereas PRE was significantly affected. NRE increased with increasing green leaf N:K ratio, whereas KRE and PRE decreased with increasing K:P and N:P ratios, respectively. Water supply significantly increased soil nutrient availability interactively with P or K fertilization, leading to a shift in relative nutrient limitation, which was essential in regulating nutrient resorption. Thus, lucerne growth was not limited by K but by P or by P and N, which P fertilization and water supply ameliorated.