Premium
Post‐harvest Evaluation of Nitrogen Sufficiency for Small‐grain Cereals by Measuring Grain Protein Concentration
Author(s) -
Virtanen A.,
Peltonen J.
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
journal of agronomy and crop science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.095
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1439-037X
pISSN - 0931-2250
DOI - 10.1111/j.1439-037x.1996.tb00232.x
Subject(s) - agronomy , avena , hordeum vulgare , grain yield , fertilizer , nitrogen , human fertilization , crop , yield (engineering) , nitrogen fertilizer , poaceae , environmental science , mathematics , wheat grain , biology , chemistry , materials science , organic chemistry , metallurgy
Nitrogen (N) fertilizer is an important and expensive input in small‐grain cereal production, and growers therefore should aim to optimize its use. Possibilities for using grain protein concentration for post‐harvesr evaluation of N sufficiency were determined in this study. Field experiments including spring wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.), spong barley ( Hordeum vulgare L) and spring oats ( Avena sativa L.), and various rates of N fertilizer application were conducted in southern and western‐Finland over 2 years. Grain yield and grain protein were positively correlated and firred quadratic regression models. Both critical and optimum levels for grain protein concentration were determined by Cate‐Nelson analysis Critical values were 12.2 for wheat, 10.2 for barley and 10.9 for oats, and corresponding optimum values were 13.3, 11.1 and 12.7, respectively. The accuracy of the method was tested using results from on‐farm spring wheat trials. The results indicated that N fertilizer uptake and grain yield were best in held where gram protein concentration exceeded the critical values but not the optimum. Growers should use more intensive N fertilization management if grain protein concentration does not exceed critical values. Grain protein concentrations above optimum values indicate over‐fertilization for maximum grain yield. Analysing previous research data to identify the “critical level” of grain protein concentration is not difficult, and will provide powers, extension personnel, and fertilizer dealers with a cost effective means of evaluating the efficiency of N use by the crop and for developing N fertilization recommendations.