Incidence of Gaeumannomyces graminis var. tritici and K deficiency increase rhizospheric denitrification

Wheat inoculated with the root pathogen Gaeumannomyces graminis var. tritici (Ggt) was grown in quartz silt at two levels of potassium nutrition. While in plants well supplied with K the incidence of Ggt did not affect plant growth, it reduced shoot and root weight of K deficient plants. Denitrification, measured by the acetylene inhibition technique and expressed as N₂O/mg root weight, was increased either by low K nutrition or by Ggt infection. Highest denitrification in the rhizosphere of plants was found with a combination of both, K deficiency and Ggt attack.