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The effects of increasing yields on the macro‐ and microelement concentrations and offtakes in the grain of winter wheat
Author(s) -
McGrath Stephen P.
Publication year - 1985
Publication title -
journal of the science of food and agriculture
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 142
eISSN - 1097-0010
pISSN - 0022-5142
DOI - 10.1002/jsfa.2740361108
Subject(s) - wheat grain , winter wheat , agronomy , chemistry , yield (engineering) , composition (language) , atmosphere (unit) , grain yield , crop , zoology , biology , metallurgy , materials science , linguistics , philosophy , physics , thermodynamics
The variations in major and minor element concentrations in winter wheat grain from a UK survey and from three experiments on farms with high yields (>10tha −1 ) are given. In the survey, the concentrations of P, K, S, Ca and Mg varied twofold, the elements Fe, Zn and Cu varied threefold, whilst Mn varied by a factor of five. Small varietal differences in grain composition were detected. In the field experiments only the concentrations of Fe, Zn, Cu, Mn and S changed significantly as yields increased, and most of the changes were positive, except for Mn, which did not increase with yield. Foliar fungicidal sprays containing Mn increased grain Mn in 1981 and 1982, but S‐containing sprays did not alter grain S in 1983. The offtakes of all the elements studied are given both nationally and for high and low yields on the three farms. These offtakes are compared with the inputs of P, K and Mg in fertilisers and the likely inputs of S from the atmosphere.