The Effects of Ethephon, Chlormequat Chloride and Mixtures of Ethephon and Chlormequat Chloride Applied at the Beginning of Stem Elongation on Spike-Bearing Shoots and other Yield Components of Spring Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.)

Effects of chlormequat chloride (CCC), ethephon and mixtures of CCC and ethephon, applied at Zadoks growth stage (ZGS) 30 (the beginning of stem elongation) on the number of spike-bearing shoots and their contribution to grain yields of four spring barley ( Hordeum vulgare L.) cultivars were studied in 1987 and 1988 at McGill University, Quebec, Canada. The results varied between years and among cultivars. The mixtures of CCC and ethephon or ethephon alone, produced significant increases in the number of spikes m⁻² in cultivars Joly and Laurier , in both years, and in Leger only in 1988. Ethephon and ethephon containing mixtures reduced the yields of Joly and Leger in 1988. In both years CCC had no effect on spikes m⁻² for all cultivars. Increases in spikes m⁻² were accompanied by decreases in 1000-grain weight, and/or grains per spike, which offset or more than offset potential benefits from increased spikes m⁻². These results indicate that under continental climatic conditions such as those prevalent in Quebec, Canada, application of PGRs to spring barley at ZGS 30 does not increase grain yield through an increased number of spikes m⁻².     

Effect of Foliar Applications of Glycinebetaine on Stress Tolerance, Growth, and Yield of Spring Cereals and Summer Turnip Rape in Finland

Crop losses caused by environmental stresses might be reduced by applying osmoprotectans to crop canopies. Glycinebetaine is endogenously accumulated by some halophytes under stress conditions and represents such a compound. Glycinebetaine was applied exogenously to barley ( Hordeum vulgare L.), oat ( Avena sativa L.), spring wheat ( Triticum aestwum L.), and summer turnip rape ( Brassica rapa ssp. oleifera DC.) canopies and its optimal concentration was monitored in the greenhouse. In field experiments the response of crop plants to betaine applications was assessed by measuring accumulation of above ground biomass, leaf area index (LAI), leaf chlorophyll, and yield. The optimum betaine concentration producing advantageous effects on growth and crop physiology in turnip rape was close to 0.1 M and for wheat 0.3 M. Such concentrations promoted accumulation of betaine similar to that of halophytes under stress conditions [ca. 200 μmol (g DM)⁻¹]. In the 1993 field experiment peak LAIs were recorded in irrigated wheat and barley treated with 17.5 kg ha⁻¹ betaine applied at 300 1 ha⁻¹. Green leaf area was slightly more persistent in wheat treated twice with 1 kg ha⁻¹ betaine applied at 200 1 ha⁻¹ in 1994, although it was not associated with increased grain yield. Our results indicated that betaine has no actual potential in Finland for the principal grain crops but further studies are needed in stress prone environments to assess the potential of betaine treatments for preventing crop failures.     

Spring Barley Responses to Nitrogen Fertilizer and Ethephon in Regions with a Short Crop Growing Season

Aspects of intensive management practices such as high N fertilization inputs and plant growth regulator use could potentially increase cereal yields in regions with a short crop-growing season and occasionally dry and hot weather. A field experiment was carried out for four years (1987 to 1990) at Agronomy Research Centre of McGill University, Canada to evaluate the response of spring barley ( Hordeum vulgare L.) cv. Cadette, Laurier and Leger to N rates (0, 70 and 140 kg N ha⁻¹) and ethephon (2-chloroethyl phosphonic acid) growth regulator treatment. The application of higher than conventional N level (70 kg N ha⁻¹) did not increase barley yields under dry weather conditions and when the soil N resources were high. The high levels of N did increase the grain crude protein concentration by 2 to 10 g kg⁻¹, as did ethephon treatment. The feed quality of spring barley was improved. Ethephon treatment reduced grain yield due to a severe reduction in the number of grains spike⁻¹, and/or 1000-grain weight, although the number of spikes m⁻² was increased. Thus, the overall effect of ethephon treatment on yield was inconsistent and was influenced to a large extent by the prevailing weather conditions.     

Nitrogen Fertilizer Rate and Timing Effect on Bread Wheat Protein in Eastern Canada

Nitrogen management for production of bread quality wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) in eastern Canada has received little research attention. An experiment was conducted for 2 years at each of two sites in Québec to study the effect of level and timing of nitrogen (N) fertilizer application on grain protein concentration, protein content per seed, non-protein seed dry matter, grain protein yield and nitrogen harvest index (portion of plant N in the grain) of four hard red spring wheat cultivars known to have potential as bread wheats in eastern Canada. The soil types were Bearbroock clay (fine, mixed, non-acid, frigid, Humaquept) and Ste-Rosalie clay (typic, non-acid, frigid, Humaquept). The experiment was a 4 × 4 × 2 factorial. Four cultivars were used: Columbus, Katepwa, Max and Hege 155–85. In both years 0, 60, 120 and 180 kg Nha⁻¹ were applied either all at seeding or 60 % at seeding and 40 % at heading. Grain protein concentration and grain protein yield increased consistently with increasing N fertilizer and with split N application. Nitrogen harvest index was not increased by increasing applications of N fertilizer. Protein content per seed was more critical in determining grain protein concentration than non-protein seed dry matter content. The western Canadian cultivars Columbus and Katepwa generally had greater grain protein concentration than the European cultivars Max and Hege 155–85, With reasonable N fertility the grain protein concentration of spring wheats grown in eastern Canada are sufficient for bread production.     

The Effect of Different Preceding Crops on the Development, Growth and Yield of Winter Barley

Reliable estimations of the yield response of winter barley to different preceding crops are necessary for the design of crop rotations.
The grain yield and yield components of winter barley (cv. Tapir ) following either rapeseed, oats, wheat or barley were determined in five years of field experiments on a sandy loam (Luvisol) at the Hohenschulen experimental station near Kiel, Germany, F.R. The growth, development and incidence of take-all ( Gaeumannomyces graminis var. tritici ) was measured in a total of three years. On average over the five years barley grown after oats yielded 0.8 t per ha (11 %) more than barley following wheat which was mainly due to a higher number of ears per m². Barley following either oats or rapeseed produced a higher dry weight and a larger number of tillers per m² compared with barley grown after wheat or barley. This effect was already-present at the sampling date before winter. Take-all ratings were constantly higher in barley following a susceptible crop, but only reached a severe level late in the season and therefore could not explain the observed differences in growth, development and subsequently grain yield. Since no other pathogens affected the development other non-pathogenic causes must be considered as main causes for the described observations and yield differences.     

Post-harvest Evaluation of Nitrogen Sufficiency for Small-grain Cereals by Measuring Grain Protein Concentration

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.     

Wheat and barley cultivars show plant traits acclimation and increase grain yield under simulated shade in Mediterranean conditions

Agroforestry systems are reported as climate‐resilient productive systems, but it is yet unclear how tree shade affects crops performance. The aim of this work was to assess how the phenology, plant traits and grain yield of wheat and barley were affected by shade. In an open greenhouse experiment, we cultivated in pots nine cultivars differing in precocity for each species and imposed three artificial shading levels (S0 ~ 0%, S1 ~ 25%, S2 ~ 50%) at the start of cereal booting. Our results showed that shade speeded up first growth stages in both species, until the starting of milk development. Barley showed consistent phenological responses to the three irradiance levels among cultivars, but not wheat that showed larger phenological differences among cultivars at moderate shade. Deep shade prolonged the time needed for wheat grain ripening. Both species increased grain yield by 15%–20% with shade, driven by shade‐acclimations of plant traits that differed among species. For wheat, grain yield was determined by the assemblage of traits that contribute to yield, such as grain weight, precocity and non‐photochemical quenching, while, for barley, SPAD value, precocity to reach phenological stages, grains per spike and plant height had the strongest influence. These traits varied widely among cultivars and seem of interest to identify best suited cultivars for shading conditions of Mediterranean agroforestry systems.     

Einfluß von Monoethanolamin auf den Ertrag von Kulturpflanzen

Effect of monoethanolamine on yield of crops
I. Studies on the effect of monoethanolamine on the grain yield and the nitrogen household in cereal plants (pot experiments)
The effect of monoethanolamine (EA, applied as foliar spray, 10 mg per pot) on grain yield and yield components was investigated in pot experiments with spring barley, winter wheat, and winter rye. Under conditions of a moderate drought stress the applied EA increased the grain yield of spring barley from 5 % to 7 % (significance only at α= 0.05). A stimulating effect of EA on the grain yield of winter wheat and winter rye was also obtained.
The positive influence of EA on the grain yield of spring barley was reproducible under the conditions of a limited water supply in small-scale plot experiments (increase of yield about 9 %).
In case of spring barley and winter rye the increase of the grain yield by EA, applied at growth stage 31 (= DC 31) was connected with a greater number of ear-bearing tillers. The increase of the winter wheat yield resulted from more grains per ear of the tillers.
The enhanced formation of tiller grain mass and total tiller biomass by EA was in correlation with a higher nitrogen import into tillers (r = 0.8⁺). Since an export of N from the main shoots into the tillers was not observed a higher N uptake (≥ 6 %) was calculated from N balances. After a fertilization with ¹⁵N-labelled fertilizers the additional ¹⁵N uptake was 13 % to 20 %.
Possible stress reducing activities caused by EA are discussed.     

Effect of Temperature Hardening on Growth, Carbohydrate and Protein Levels in Three Grain Crops

The effect of seedling pretreatment at different temperature levels and periods of exposure on growth, pigments, carbohydrates and proteins was studied in three grain crops; sorghum, wheat and barley at different stages of growth. Greater shoot-dry weights were obtained in sorghum with exposure for 15 hrs at 40 °C in the flowering, in wheat for 2 hrs at 10 and 40 °C in the fruiting and in barley for 15 hrs at 0 °C in the flowering stage. Increased root-dry weights were achieved by wheat with exposure for 4 and 15 hrs at all levels even at 0 °C in the flowering and for 15 hrs at 40 °C in the fruiting stage. Chl_a and Chl_b were more responsive in sorghum to higher temperature pretreatments than either wheat or barley. In sorghum the temperature extremes (0 and 50 °C) had resulted in a substantial reduction of Chl_a, and Chl_b in the fruiting stage. Lower and higher temperature-pretreatments had resulted in total available carbohydrate reduction in shoot and root of sorghum and wheat at the early stage, but the reverse was true later in flowering. In contrast, lower and higher temperature pretreatments had increased shoot-protein in sorghum and wheat in the vegetative and in sorghum in the flowering stage. Root-protein was more responsive to low temperature-pretreatments in sorghum and barley during the fruiting stage.     

Innovative cropping systems to reduce N inputs and maintain wheat yields by inserting grain legumes and cover crops in southwestern France

The reduction in crop diversity and specialization of cereal-based cropping systems have led to high dependence on synthetic nitrogen (N) fertilizer in many areas of the globe. This has exacerbated environmental degradation due to the uncoupling of carbon (C) and N cycles in agroecosystems. In this experiment, we assessed impacts of introducing grain legumes and cover crops to innovative cropping systems to reduce N fertilizer application while maintaining wheat yields and grain quality. Six cropping systems resulting from the combination of three 3-year rotations with 0, 1 and 2 grain legumes (GL0, GL1 and GL2, respectively) with (CC) or without (BF, bare fallow) cover crops were compared during six cropping seasons. Durum wheat was included as a common high-value cash crop in all the cropping systems to evaluate the carryover effects of rotation. For each cropping system, the water use efficiency for producing C in aerial biomass and yield were quantified at the crop and rotation scales. Several diagnostic indicators were analyzed for durum wheat, such as (i) grain yield and 1000-grain weight; (ii) aboveground biomass, grain N content and grain protein concentration; (iii) water- and N-use efficiencies for yield; and (iv) N harvest index. Compared to the GL0-BF cropping system, which is most similar to that traditionally used in southwestern France, N fertilizer application decreased by 58%, 49%, 61% and 56% for the GL1-BF, GL1-CC, GL2-BF and GL2-CC cropping systems, respectively. However, the cropping systems without grain legumes (GL0-BF and GL0-CC) had the highest water use efficiency for producing C in aerial biomass and yield. The insertion of cover crops in the cropping systems did not change wheat grain yield, N uptake, or grain protein concentration compared to those of without cover crops, demonstrating a satisfactory adaptation of the entire cropping system to the use of cover crops. Winter pea as a preceding crop for durum wheat increased wheat grain production by 8% (383 kg ha⁻¹) compared to that with sunflower − the traditional preceding crop − with a mean reduction in fertilizer application of 40–49 kg N ha⁻¹ during the six-year experiment. No differences in protein concentration of wheat grain were observed among preceding crops. Our experiment demonstrates that under temperate submediterranean conditions, properly designed cropping systems that simultaneously insert grain legumes and cover crops reduce N requirements and show similar wheat yield and grain quality attributes as those that are cereal-based.     

Die Ertragsentwicklung von Wintergetreide und Zuckerrüben bei dauerhafter Senkung des N-Düngungsniveaus

Effects of Long-term Fertilizer N Reduction on Winter Grain and Sugar Beet Yields
The results of recent field experiments concerning the effect of long-term N-reduction on the yield and quality of sugar beet, winter wheat and winter barley on plots which had previously had received ample amounts of N are studied in this paper.
The yield and quality of crops harvested on plots where N-dressings had been reduced for 6–8 years were similar to those of crops grown on plots where N-application had been reduced for only 1 year. Grain yield of winter wheat and winter barley grown without any N-application decreased to about 60 % of amounts normally harvested under local conditions with recommended N dressings, whereas the white sugar yield still remained at 90 %. The yields decreased slightly with an increase in the duration of the experiments. Yields of both cereals and beets remained constant within each level of fertilization, even 6 years after inition of trials with 50, 75 and 125 % of locally recommended N dressings.
On plots that did not receive nitrogen fertilization, N-contents of grain were between 1.5 and 1.7 % for winter wheat and 1.0 and 1.6 % N for winter barley. These contents remained constant over a trial period of 6 years. The amount of annual export of 55–91 kg N/ha also remained constant. Limited N availability causes a decrease in grain protein content rather than in grain yield.
Compared to winter grain species, sugar beet (with 74–117 kg N/ha in the beet body) could realize the highest annual export of nitrogen from the plot. Differences in annual N export existing between the various locations of the plots cannot be explained by differences in soil quality. Continuous high yields that were found even without any N-dressings may be explained by asymbiotic N-fixation, deposition of atmospheric N and a progressive decrease in soil N with 17–56 kg N/ha removed from soil resources annually.     

不同土壤条件下化学调控对小麦产量和品质的影响

为探究不同土壤条件与不同化控剂结合对小麦产量及品质的调控效应,通过盆栽方式,研究农麦5号在黑土（A1）和潮土（A2）条件下,在拔节初期喷施清水（B1）、矮壮素（B2）和吨田宝（B3）对其籽粒产量和品质的影响。结果表明,小麦株高、穗长、穗粒数、千粒重、籽粒产量和蛋白质产量在相同化控处理下均表现为A1>A2,其中潮土条件下籽粒产量和总蛋白质产量分别较黑土低56.0%和55.1%,小麦的总蛋白质及其组分含量均为A2>A1。小麦籽粒产量和穗粒数在黑土条件B2处理下达到最大值,株高和穗长在B3处理下达到最大值;在潮土条件下使用化学调控剂处理中,小麦籽粒总蛋白质含量显著高于B1处理,其中清蛋白、球蛋白和醇溶蛋白含量均表现为B2>B3>B1,且差异显著。因此,不同土壤条件配合使用适宜化控剂可以有效促进小麦优质高产,即在黑土条件下配合使用化学调控剂可以显著提升小麦产量;在潮土条件下配合使用化学调控剂可以显著提升小麦品质。     

大麦DNA导入小麦诱导抗白粉病变异的研究

本试验利用外源DNA导入技术,研究了大麦DNA导入小麦品种后,D_1,D_2和D_3代的抗白粉病变异株(系)在不同条件下的抗性表现及产量构成、籽粒蛋白质和氨基酸含量的变化。试验结果表明,导入外源DNA的D_1代小麦檀株出。现了抗白粉病等多种变异类型,其中免疫和高抗白粉病变异株古2.77％,且抗性能够向子代传递,其D_2代在大田自然发病和温室接菌条件下,有5个株系抗性保持稳定,8个株系有分离,其中一个株系在D_2和D_3代抗性均稳定。在田间D_2代有2个稳定株系(D_2-20,D_2-29)的籽粒粗蛋白质含量,比受体分别高20.3％和15.76％,17种氨基酸总量分别高23.4％和27.5％。在温室这些性,状的数值也明显高于受体。     

Effect of Field Bean and Soybean Cultivation on Soil Compaction Amelioration and its Influence on Wheat and Barley as subsequent Crops

Effect of field bean and soybean cultivation on soil compaction amelioration and its influence on wheat and barley as subsequent crops
Amelioration effect of field bean and soybean growth on compacted soil and its influence on the following crops of wheat and barley was tested. The performance of both field bean and soybean was affected by compaction. A reduction of 5–16 % in total dry matter, 10–22 % in seed yield, 5–12 % in no. of pods per plant, 4–14 % in plant height, 8–19 % in total accumulated N in plant and 11–22 % in accumulated N in seed of the both crops was registered. The crops were grown at 30 and 60 plants/m² densities. The negative effects of compaction were compensated to some extent by high plant density. Both crops loosened the compacted field, the effect increased with an increase in plant density. Field beans decreased the soil bulk density up to 8 %, increased total porosity up to 8 % and air filled pores up to 19 % till 30 cm soil depth, the effects being higher than produced by soybeans.
The increases in yields of wheat and barley and in their accumulated N were 9–57 % and 11–56 %, respectively after field bean and soybean as preceeding crops than after barley.     

Can Leaf Chlorophyll Measures at Differing Growth Stages be used as an Indicator of Winter Wheat and Spring Barley Nitrogen Requirements in Eastern Canada?

Plant need-based N management approaches may increase the efficiency of N fertilizer application in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). The leaf chlorophyll concentration estimated through the SPAD-502 meter gives a relative assessment of N status in crop. Field trials were conducted near St John's, Newfoundland, between 1997 and 2000 to describe the relationship between winter wheat and spring barley grain yield, protein content, protein yield and SPAD measurements, as affected by differential stage of crop growth, seeding rate and topdress N fertilizer. Grain yield, protein content, and protein yield of winter wheat and spring barley exhibited linear responses to increasing N topdress application rate. SPAD-502 values were moderately to highly positively correlated with grain yield, protein content, and protein yield as a result of increasing topdress N fertilization, and moderately negatively correlated as a result of increasing seeding rate. It may be difficult to make an N-application rate recommendation based on SPAD measurements, as a critical SPAD value may vary among years, locations, cultivars and soil characters.     

Effect of Ethephon Spraying at Three Developmental Stages of Barley Planted in Arid and Semiarid Mediterranean Locations

To determine the effects of ethephon [(2‐chloroethyl) phosphonic acid] on yield and yield components of rainfed barley in arid (150 mm rainfall) and semiarid (346 mm) regions, the present study was conducted during the growing seasons of 1999–2001. Ethephon was applied at the tillering, stem elongation and flowering stages. Acomparison of the effect of ethephon on rainfed and irrigated barley performed at the semiarid location in the following season confirmed the results. Ethephon decreased grain yield when sprayed at tillering and stem elongation compared with the later flowering stage for both the arid and semiarid locations. All arid‐location barley plants had lower grain yields than the semiarid‐location plants. There was a reduction in spikes m^?2 in the tillering and stem elongation stage sprayings compared to the control for both locations. In the semiarid and arid locations no difference in earliness (50 % heading) was observed between spraying times but ethephon always delayed heading. All arid‐location plants were earlier than semiarid‐location plants. However, when ethephon was used with supplementary irrigation it was found to increase grain yield, spikes m^?2 and earliness.     

Agronomic Variability in Selected Triticum turgidum x T. tauschii Synthetic Hexaploid Wheats

Two trials were conducted at the Mexican National Institute of Agricultural Research Experiment Station at Yaqui Valley, Sonora, Mexico to investigate the nature and extent of agronomic variation in 50 synthetic hexaploid (SH) wheats (2n = 6x = 42, AABBDD) derived from Triticum turgidum (2n = 4x = 28. AABB) × T. tauschii (In = 2x = 14, DD) crosses for subsequent use in wheat improvement. Plant height, spike length, days to flowering, physiological maturity, grain yield, above-ground biomass at maturity, harvest index, yield components and test weight were determined.
Significant agronomic variation was observed among the germplasm evaluated. Outstanding SH genotypes were identified with higher grain yield, above-ground biomass at maturity, 1000-grain weight, and spikes m⁻² than the bread wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) check cultivar Seri 82. Genotypic correlations of grain yield with other character traits show that grain m² was the most important determinant of gram yield (r = 0.993). Data on agronomic traits subjected to complete linkage cluster analysis resulted in classifying the genotypes into two distinct phenotypic groups excluding Seri 82. Groups generally corresponded to durum progenitors of the SH with significant group differences for all characters. This demonstrates use of practical numerical analysis procedures to describe agronomic variation in representative SH genotypes. Clustering by quantitativy traits may be valuable for identification of genotypes with divergent sources for breeding and agronomic purposes.     

Correlation Studies on Ammonium/Nitrate Concentrations in Soil and Growth and Yield of Wheat

A field experiment was conducted at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi to study the growth and yield of wheat as influenced by the concentrations of ammonium-N and nitrate-N in soil. A series of ammonium and nitrate nitrogen concentrations in soil on a time frame was developed by treating prilled urea with nitrification inhibitors DCD or neem cake as well as by changing the dose and time of N application. The study revealed that number of tillers m^-1 as well as ears m^-1 row length were significantly positively correlated with ammonium-N concentration at 15 and 30 DAS and nitrate-N concentration at 30 and 45 DAS. Number of grains ear^-1 was significantly positively correlated with ammonium-N at 30, 45 and 60 DAS and nitrate-N at 45 and 60 DAS. Ultimately grain yield in wheat was significantly positively correlated with ammonium-N concentration at 15 and 30 DAS and nitrate-N concentration at 30, 45 and 60 DAS. The response between grain yield and concentrations of both ammonium and nitrate forms of N was quadratic. The optimum concentration of ammonium-N in soil for maximum grain yield gradually decreased with the age of the crop from 54.6 to 63.6 μg g^-1 at 15 DAS to 22.7 to 26 μg g^-1 at 30 DAS. In the case of nitrate-N its optimum concentration for maximum grain yield increased with age of the crop from 25.1 to 30 μg g^-1 at 15 DAS to 31.6 to 34 at 45 DAS and it decreased thereafter.     

Multi-model uncertainty analysis in predicting grain N for crop rotations in Europe

Realistic estimation of grain nitrogen (N; N in grain yield) is crucial for assessing N management in crop rotations, but there is little information on the performance of commonly used crop models for simulating grain N. Therefore, the objectives of the study were to (1) test if continuous simulation (multi-year) performs better than single year simulation, (2) assess if calibration improves model performance at different calibration levels, and (3) investigate if a multi-model ensemble can substantially reduce uncertainty in reproducing grain N. For this purpose, 12 models were applied simulating different treatments (catch crops, CO₂ concentrations, irrigation, N application, residues and tillage) in four multi-year rotation experiments in Europe to assess modelling accuracy. Seven grain and seed crops in four rotation systems in Europe were included in the study, namely winter wheat, winter barley, spring barley, spring oat, winter rye, pea and winter oilseed rape. Our results indicate that the higher level of calibration significantly increased the quality of the simulation for grain N. In addition, models performed better in predicting grain N of winter wheat, winter barley and spring barley compared to spring oat, winter rye, pea and winter oilseed rape. For each crop, the use of the ensemble mean significantly reduced the mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) between simulations and observations to less than 15%, thus a multi–model ensemble can more precisely predict grain N than a random single model. Models correctly simulated the effects of enhanced N input on grain N of winter wheat and winter barley, whereas effects of tillage and irrigation were less well estimated. However, the use of continuous simulation did not improve the simulations as compared to single year simulation based on the multi-year performance, which suggests needs for further model improvements of crop rotation effects.     

Effects of Seeding Rate on Growth Duration and Accumulation and Partitioning of Dry matter in Oats

Crop management influences considerably the three components of grain yield, growth duration, growth rate, and harvest index (HI). Effects of seeding rate on these yield components in oats ( Avena sativa L.) was assessed in field experiments at the Viikki Experimental Farm, University of Helsinki, Finland (60°13'N) in 1991 and 1992. Three Finnish oat genotypes were evaluated; a long-strawed landrace cultivar, a moderately long-strawed modern cultivar, and a semi-dwarf breeding line. The following traits were measured: grain yield, days from sowing to yellow ripeness, number of tillers on main shoot, phytomass, vegetative phytomass, and their growth rates (PGR and VGR, respectively), panicle weight and its filling rate (PFR), HI, leaf area index (LAI), and at intervals, dry-matter accumulation in leaves and straw.
Increases in seeding rate significantly decreased growth duration and PGR of individual plants but increased PGR on a ground area basis. Seeding rate did not, however, affect HI. When seeding rate was increased from 200 seeds m⁻² to 500 seeds m⁻², reductions in vegetative phytomass, panicle weight, VGR, and PFR for individual plants ranged between 20 and 40 %, depending on genotype. At ≥600 seeds m⁻² differences in these components between seeding rates were modest. However, PGR, VGR, and PFR per unit ground area increased with increasing seeding rates up to 600–700 seeds m⁻². Moreover, the higher the seeding rate, the higher the peak LAI (2.7 maximum) and the earlier the canopy closure. Hence, our results showed that a seeding rate of 600–700 seeds m⁻², which resulted in uniculm growth habit, is advantageous in terms of grain yield at high latitudes due to higher biomass accumulation and subsequently greater interception of PAR.