One-time heavy application of P on certain soils can provide sufficient available P to sustain crop production over a period of several years, but may cause Zn nutritional problem for crops. A field study was conducted to determine tbe effect of applied Zn on wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grown on residual P plots and identify tbe mechanism of P X Zn interaction. This study was conducted in 1984 in a continuous wheat system on a clayey, mixed, frigid Typic Hyploboroll soil that bad received 0, 80, and 160 kg P ba -• in 1979. Three experiments were carried out using a split plot randomized complete block design with three levels of P as m~in plots and rates of soilapplied Zn-sulfate (0, S, 10, and 20 kg Zn ba-•) or Zn-cbelate (0, 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 kg Zn ba-1 ) or foliar-applied Zn-cbelate (0 and 0.35 kg Zn ba-•) as subplots. A one-time application of 80 or 160 kg P ba-• increased wheat yield significantly. In the presence of P, application of Zn resulted in significant increase in grain yield and Zn uptake into grain. Applied P increased soil P levels and tissue P concentration, but resulted in a significant decrease of tissue Zn levels. DTP A ( dietbylenetriaminepentaacetic acid )-extractable soil Zn levels in the non-Zn-amended treatment were independent of P application rate. Plant roots in bigb P treatments contained significantly lower levels of vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal (V AM) infection than tbe control. Further, a close relationship was observed between Zn levels in tbe aboveground plant parts and V AM infection.AdditioiUll index words: Phosphorus X Zinc interaction, Vesiculararbuscular mycorrbizae, Triticum aestivum L., Zinc-sulfate, Zincchelate.' Publication no. R446 of the Saskatchewan Inst. of Pedology.