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Nitrate Fertilizer Timing, Irrigation, Protein, and Yellow Berry in Durum Wheat 1
Author(s) -
Robinson Frank E.,
Cudney David W.,
Lehman William F.
Publication year - 1979
Publication title -
agronomy journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.752
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1435-0645
pISSN - 0002-1962
DOI - 10.2134/agronj1979.00021962007100020021x
Subject(s) - berry , straw , agronomy , irrigation , ammonium nitrate , fertilizer , human fertilization , nitrate , yield (engineering) , grain yield , nitrogen , biology , chemistry , mathematics , horticulture , ecology , metallurgy , materials science , organic chemistry
In the irrigated desert area of Imperial Valley, Calif., Cocorit 71 durum ( Triticum durum Desf.) was developing sufficient yellow berry to be penalized in price received by growers. The objectives of the study were to define the relationship between nitrate fertilizer timing, protein, and yellow berry in grain and to recommend the N fertilization program leading to the highest yield of low yellow berry grain yield. The study was conducted on a well drained vertic torriorthent of the entisol order. Plots were fertilized with 0, 135, 202, 270, or 404 kg/ha of N as ammonium nitrate in three treatments: all preplant (P), half preplant, and half at tillering (PT); and one‐third each at the preplant, tillering, and boot stages (PTB). Grain protein content differed significantly between treatments. Yellow berry decreased by 16.4 to 18.5% for each percentage increase in crude protein in the grain. PTB gave significantly higher protein in the grain than the other treatments. Protein content had significant linear correlation with shatter, lodging, average grain size, and grain density. PTB at 270 kg N/ha was the lowest N application that gave a consistently high yield, with less than 25% yellow berry. The wetter of two irrigation treatments had significantly less lodging in 1976, and longer straw, higher yield, and lower grain density in 1977. Effects were similar to the above in comparison treatments of ‘Mexicali 75’ durum and ‘Yecora Rojo’ ( Triticum aestivum L.), a hard red spring wheat. It was recommended that N fertilization be 90 kg/ha at preplant, again at tillering, and again at the boot stage.