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Nitrogen Use by Northern‐Adapted Barley Genotypes Under No‐Till
Author(s) -
Tillman B. A.,
Pan W. L.,
Ullrich S. E.
Publication year - 1991
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/agronj1991.00021962008300010046x
Subject(s) - agronomy , biology , hordeum vulgare , loam , dry matter , sowing , productivity , soil water , poaceae , ecology , macroeconomics , economics
No‐till planting can restrict the growth and productivity of spring grains in the U.S. Pacific Northwest. Cooler soil temperatures, compared to conventional tillage, may contribute to lower productivity. Therefore, genotypes bred in cold climates may better adapt to notill management. Eleven spring barley ( Hordeum vulgare L.) genotypes were evaluated for N content and dry matter accumulation under direct drilling at 45 and 90 kg N ha −1 . These genotypes originated in the Pacific Northwest (PNW) or the Northern European (Nordic) countries Denmark, Finland, and Sweden. The Nordic genotypes were developed under cooler, wetter soil conditions than the PNW genotypes, and were therefore predicted to be better adapted to no‐till management. Barley was drilled into stubble of spring cereals in a Palouse silt loam (fine‐silty, mixed mesic Pachic Ultic Haploxeroll). The Finnish genotypes, HJA Potra, HJA 80201, and HJA 78003, generally had greater above‐ground dry matter and N content than the domestic genotypes prior to anthesis. These differences were not sustained through rain filling, however, and PNW genotypes accumulated more N and dry matter per unit area by maturity. Steptoe was the only genotype that consistently absorbed N during grain filling, while many genotypes exhibited net N losses. Nitrogen remobilization and N harvest index tended to be greater in 6‐row genotypes compared to 2‐row genotypes. The PNW genotypes generally outyielded the Nordic genotypes with the exception of ‘Nordal’. Nevertheless, if the physiological traits of the Nurdic genotypes associated with efficient N uptake during cold soil conditions could be incorporated into an existing PNW genotype, improved N use efficiency may be obtainable.