## 3 Results
### Vegetative
#### 3.1.2 Vegetative Stage Plant Growth Metrics (Data Collection 2)  
Despite the lack of differences observed in the growth metrics at four weeks into the vegetative growth cycle, statistically significant differences occurred with biomass production, plant height, and diameters after eight weeks of vegetative growth (Tables 1 and 2). The shortest plant height corresponded to the lowest P concentration, was statistically shorter than all other concentrations and was 18.3% shorter than the tallest plant grown under 11.25 mg\(\cdot\)L\({}^{-1}\) P (Figure 2). At the lowest three levels of P fertility (3.75, 7.50, and 11.25 mg\(\cdot\)L\({}^{-1}\)), plant heights increased as P fertility increased. After the 11.25 mg\(\cdot\)L\({}^{-1}\) P threshold was reached, there was no statistical difference observed among the higher concentrations (15.0, 22.50, and 30.0 mg\(\cdot\)L\({}^{-1}\)). This would indicate that, in the vegetative state, an increase in P fertility will increase plant height linearly until the 11.25 mg\(\cdot\)L\({}^{-1}\) threshold. After this threshold is reached, no increase in plant height will be observed with increasing fertility. The resultant height at which P fertility plateaued was 75.1 cm when the model was subjected to a non-linear analysis. \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c c c c c c} \hline \hline \multirow{2}{*}{**P Concentrations \({}^{\text{z}}\)**} & \multirow{2}{*}{**Height \({}^{\text{y}}\)**} & \multirow{2}{*}{**Diameter \({}^{\text{y}}\)**} & \multicolumn{2}{c}{**Total Above Ground**} & \multicolumn{2}{c}{**Total Below Ground**} & \multicolumn{2}{c}{**Root to Shoot**} \\  & & & & & **Dry Weight \({}^{\text{y}}\)** & & **Dry Weight \({}^{\text{y}}\)** & & **Ratio \({}^{\text{x}}\)** \\ \cline{2-10}  & **Mean** & **SD \({}^{\text{w}}\)** & **Mean** & **SD** & **Mean** & **SD** & **Mean** & **SD** & **Mean** & **SD** \\ \hline
3.75 & 63.60 C & 3.93 & 35.30 C & 5.51 & 12.30 B & 1.60 & 4.10 A & 1.22 & 0.34 A & 0.12 \\ \hline
7.50 & 70.50 B & 4.49 &
\begin{tabular}{c} 38.25 \\ CB \\ \end{tabular} & 4.49 & 20.84 AB & 1.49 & 6.86 A & 2.01 & 0.33 A & 0.10 \\ \hline
11.25 & \
\begin{tabular}{c} 77.90 \\ A \\ \end{tabular} & 1.98 &
\begin{tabular}{c} 51.29 \\ A \\ \end{tabular} & 5.92 & 30.66 A & 2.98 & 7.02 A & 0.28 & 0.23 A & 0.03 \\ \hline
15.0 &
\begin{tabular}{c} 73.12 \\ AB \\ \end{tabular} & 2.50 & 44.40 & 3.62 & 24.68 A & 6.56 & 8.06 A & 2.79 & 0.35 A & 0.19 \\ \hline
22.50 &
\begin{tabular}{c} 75.78 \\ AB \\ \end{tabular} & 2.43 & 49.56 & 2.71 & 30.70 A & 10.43 & 8.72 A & 4.02 & 0.28 A & 0.07 \\ \hline
30.0 & \
\begin{tabular}{c} 74.24 \\ AB \\ \end{tabular} & 2.16 &
\begin{tabular}{c} 43.58 \\ ABC \\ \end{tabular} & 3.80 & 26.18 A & 4.25 & 9.44 A & 4.02 & 0.35 A & 0.10 \\ \hline Significance \({}^{\text{y}}\) & *** & *** & *** & *** & NS & NS \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular} \({}^{\text{z}}\) P fertility concentrations based on mg\(\cdot\)L\({}^{-1}\) (ppm). \({}^{\text{y}}\) All height and diameter measurements based on cm. Diameter was calculated by taking the widest two points on a plant taken 90\({}^{\text{y}}\) from each other. These numbers were then added together and divided by 2 to get the diameter measurement. All dry weights were in grams and taken based on oven dried material. \({}^{\text{x}}\) Root to shoot ratio calculated by dividing the root dry weight by the above ground dry weight. \({}^{\text{w}}\) All standard deviation values assumed to be \(\pm\) of the given value. \({}^{\text{v}}\)\({}^{\text{w}}\), \({}^{\text{w}}\), or *** Indicates statistically significant differences between sample means based on \(F\)-test (proc GLM) at \(p\leq 0.05\), \(p\leq 0.01\), or \(p\leq 0.001\), respectively. NS (not significant) indicates the \(F\)-test difference between sample means was \(p>0.05\). Values with the same letter indicate a lack of statistical significance while values with different letters indicate statistically significant results.  
\end{table} 
Table 2: The impacts of phosphorus (P) fertility on plant growth metrics of _C.