Comparison of Harvest Index and Grain/Straw-Ratio with Applications to Winter Oilseed Rape

To compare the statistical properties of harvest index and grain/straw-ratio their variabilities (expressed by the relative measure coefficient of variation), their skewnesses and kurtoses have been compared theoretically.
With regard to variability, the harvest index exhibits a clear superiority (= smaller variability) compared to the grain/straw-ratio. For skewness and kurtosis no such generally valid relationships exist. But, for the range of the empirically most relevant parameter values one obtains approximately equal numerical values for skewness as well as for kurtosis of harvest index and grain/straw-ratio. Finally, the theoretical results and conclusions have been checked and applied to the experimental data sets from a field trial with ten European cultivars/lines of winter oilseed rape.     

Nitrogen uptake and nitrogen harvest index in durum wheat cultivars varying in their grain protein concentration

Summary In a field experiment, plant (excluding roots) and grain nitrogen at harvest were estimated in 15 durum wheat cultivars varying in their grain protein concentration. They showed significant variation in grain yield, grain protein concentration, biological yield, total plant nitrogen at harvest and residual nitrogen in straw. Harvest index and nitrogen harvest index were calculated from this primary data. Nitrogen harvest index varied from 57 to 83%. Plant nitrogen showed significant positive correlation with biological yield, grain yield and grain protein yield, but the correlations with grain protein concentration, harvest index and nitrogen harvest index were not significant. Nitrogen harvest index was positively correlated with harvest index indicating that the distribution of N between straw and grain to a large extent, but not entirely, depends upon the partitioning of dry matter between the two. Grain protein concentration was neither correlated significantly to plant nitrogen nor to nitrogen harvest index.     

Increasing grain yield of oats by independent culling for harvest index and vegetative growth index or unit straw weight

Summary Most variation in grain yield of oats is due to variation in harvest index and vegetative growth index, but the latter traits are negatively associated. Therefore we used independent culling levels to select oat genotypes with high levels of vigor traits and a desirable level of harvest index in an attempts to maximize grain yield. Harvest index and vegetative growth index or harvest index and unit straw weight were selected at various culling levels. Intensive selection for harvest index resulted in high harvest index but no grain yield improvement, because the selected lines had poor vigor. Intensive selection for vegetative growth index or unit straw weight resulted in high biomass but low harvest index.The most effective combination of culling levels was to select 25% of the original population for harvest index and, subsequently, to select for vegetative growth index or unit straw weight at an 8% intensity in the remnant population.Journal Paper No. J-11272 of the Iowa Agric. and Home Econ. Exp. Stn., Ames, IA 50011. Project 2447. This work was supported in part by the World Food Institute, Iowa State Univ., in the form of a Senior Fellowship for the senior author.     

Genetic variation,heritability and path-analysis in landraces of bread wheat from southwestern Iran

Summary Nine pure lines of bread wheat collected from landraces of southwestern Iran and one local Iranian cultivar from the same area were used to estimate genetic variation and heritability for 12 developmental and yield component characters. Path-analysis was used to partition the genetic correlations between some of the characters into direct and indirect effects. Mean values for these lines were also compared with those of five improved cultivars from Iran and California. The goal of the experiment is to breed improved landraces and/or modern cultivars for areas of low input agriculture in southern California, southwestern Iran, and regions with similar environmental and agronomic conditions.Moderate genetic variation was displayed by the number of effective heads per plant, number of grains per head, and grain weight in the landrace genotypes. The heritability estimates ranged from 43 to 97%. Expected genetic advance with selection of the highest 5%, expressed as percent of the mean, was around 20% for number of heads per plant, number of grains per head, and 1000-grain weight.Days to booting, to heading, and to anthesis were positively correlated but none of them were significantly associated with days to maturity. Plant height had a negative genetic correlation with number of grains per head, 1000-grain weight, grain yield, and harvest index. The genetic correlation between number of heads per plant and number of grains per head, 1000-grain weight, and harvest index was also significantly negative. Harvest index had a negative genetic correlation with days to booting, to maturity, plant height, number of heads per plant, and straw yield and a positive correlation with number of grains per head, 1000-grain weight, and grain yield.Days to maturity, plant height, number of heads per plant, number of grains per head, 1000-grain weight, and harvest index each had a positive direct effect on grain yield. The first two characters exhibited the highest and lowest direct effects, respectively. The positive direct effects of days to maturity, plant height, and number of heads per plant, however, were partially or completely counter-balanced by their strong negative indirect effects through number of grains per head, 1000-grain weight, and harvest index. Pathanalysis indicated that late and tall landrace genotypes tend to produce more heads per plant, but with fewer number of grains per head, smaller grains, and lower harvest index.Comparisons between the local lines and the improved cultivars revealed that, in general, the former were much taller and produced a larger number of non-effective tillers. Mean number of grains per head, grain weight, harvest index, and grain yield of local lines were smaller than those of improved cultivars.Our observations indicate that the landraces could be improved by selecting for shorter genotypes with smaller numbers of tillers per plant, but with larger numbers of grains per head and heavier grains.     

甘蓝型杂交油菜收获指数与植株性状的相关分析

[目的]为了研究收获指数与植株性状的相关关系及回归关系,[方法]通过测定649个甘蓝型杂交油菜新组合的收获指数、单株产量、株高、千粒重、角粒数、主花序角果长度、单株角果数、有效分枝位、一次分枝数、主序长度。[结果]不同甘蓝型杂交油菜新组收获指数差异较大,变幅为(0.1292-0.3358),平均为22.47%,收获指数在0.30以上的组合仅占0.31%;收获指数与单株产量、角粒数、单株角果数、一次分枝数、主序长度、株高均呈极显著正相关;回归分析表明,株高、单株角果数、主花序角果长度、千粒重、角粒数5个性状对收获指数的影响较大。利用性状间的相关性,选育长角果和主花序长的材料,来提高育成材料的角粒数和千粒重;选育植株相对较高、主花序较长、一次分枝数较多的个体,来提高育成材料的单株角果数,最终育成单株产量较高的组合(或品种)。[结论]协调产量构成三要素,提高单株产量,协调好高产与高收获指数间的关系,育成收获指数较高的组合(或品种)。     

Growth and Yield Response of Lentil Cultivars to Phosphorus, Zinc and Biofertilizers

A field experiment was conducted to study the growth and yield responses of lentil cultivars to phosphorus, zinc and biofertilizer application on a sandy loam soil during the winter seasons of 1989–90 and 1990–91 at the farm of Division of Agronomy, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India. The two lentil cultivars used in the study were Microsperma (JL 1) and Macrosperma (Lens 4076) and the biofertilizers were Rhizobium and VAM fungi. Results showed that higher values of LAI, root nodulation, yield attributes (number of pods plant⁻¹, number of grains pod⁻¹ and grain yield plant⁻¹), grain yield and harvest index were obtained from JL 1 whereas plant height and 1000 grain weight were higher in Lens 4076. Application of 17.2 kg Pha⁻¹ as single superphosphate (SSP) along with 5 kg Znha⁻¹ as zinc sulphate resulted in marked improvement in growth and yield attributes, grain yield and harvest index when compared with the 17.2 kg P as rock phosphate (with and without Zn) and the control treatments. Combined inoculation of Rhizobium and VAM fungi resulted in improved growth and yield attributes, grain yield and harvest index when compared with inoculation of either of the inocula at a time.     

On the Variability of Harvest Indices

The harvest index Z is defined, for example for cereals, as the ratio between grain yield X and biological yield Y: Z = X/Y. For many purposes the variance of Z is of major interest. In this paper several approximations for this variance are derived and their accuracy was investigated. These explicit formulae depend on some characteristics (means, variances or coefficients of variation, covariances or correlations) of the component variables grain yield X and biological yield Y. It is shown that for most practical applications the approximation v²z = v²x + v²y - 2rv_xv_y provides a sufficient accuracy for numerical calculations (v_x v_y and v_z are the coefficients of variation for grain yield X, biological yield Y and harvest index Z and r denotes the correlation coefficient between X and Y). Some conclusions on the relations between v_x, v_y and v_z are derived.
Finally, all the theoretical investigations and results are demonstrated and applied to a numerical example of winter-rapeseed data.     

Estimates of selection parameters associated with harvest index in oat lines derived from a bulk population

Summary Harvest index of grain crops is defined as grain yield divided by total plant yield. We estimated the heritability percentages of harvest index and its components, grain yield and plant weight, the genotypic and phenotypic correlations among these three traits, and the genotypic correlations of harvest index with plant height, 100-seed weight, grain number, and heading date by using a population of 1200 F₉-derived oat lines tested in six environments. Furthermore, we examined the relative selection efficiencies of indirect selection for yield through harvest index and of index selection for yield through yield plus harvest index.Heritability percentages were computed by use of variance-component, standard-unit, and realizedheritability methods. The heritability percentages for harvest index, grain yield, and plant weight were similar, and averaged between 50 and 65 precent across environments. Standard-unit and realized heritability percentages agreed closely and generally were lower than those computed via the variance-component method. Expected heritability percentages for harvest index calculated by using grain and plant yield data agreed almost exactly with actual values. Genotypic correlations were 0.88 between grain yield and plant weight, 0.42 between harvest index and grain yield, and –0.07 between harvest index and plant weight. Genotypic and phenotipic correlations were similar in magnitude. Theoretical and actual genotypic and phenotypic correlations of harvest index with grain yield and plant weight agreed closely. Genotypic correlations, computed via parent-offspring relationships, between harvest index and plant height, 100-seed weight, grain number, and heading date averaged –0.41, 0.43, 0.00, and –0.33 respectively.Indirect selection for grain yield through harvest index was 43 percent as efficient as direct selection, and a selection index that combined harvest index and grain yield was no more efficient than direct selection for yield. Harvest index had little value as a selection criterion for grain yield improvement when unrestricted selection was used. Indirect selection for grain yield through harvest index, however, would be expected to retain lines with a more favorable combination of yield, plant height and heading date than would unrestricted direct selection for yield.Journal Paper No. J-7914 of the Iowa Agriculture and Home Economic Experiment Station, Ames, Iowa 50010, Project No. 1752.     

Genetic variation and interrelationships of agronomic characters in landraces of bread wheat from southeastern Iran

There is renewed interest in wheat landraces as important sources of genetic variation for agronomic characters. Fifty-three pure lines of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) derived from seven landraces collected from southeastern Iran were used to estimate genetic variation and heritability for 13 developmental and quantitative characters. Path-analysis was used to partition the genetic correlations between grain yield and six grain yield-related traits. Mean values of landraces were also compared with three improved cultivars from California and Iran. Genotypic differences among the landraces and among the pure lines collected from the landraces were highly significant for all characters considered. Compared with the modern cultivars, the landrace genotypes were, on average, later in days to heading and taller than the cultivars but had lower values for number of grains per spike, 1000-grain weight, grain yield and harvest index. Some landrace genotypes were similar to the modern cultivars for grain yield. Moderate to high genetic variation was displayed by number of grains per spike, number of spikes per plant, 1000-grain weight, and harvest index. The heritability estimates ranged from 59% for grain yield to 99% for days to anthesis. Expected genetic advance (as % of the mean) was ≈34% for number of spikes per plant, number of grains per spike, and 1000-grain weight. Days to heading and to anthesis correlated positively with number of spikes per plant, shoot biomass, and straw biomass but negatively with number of grains per spike and harvest index. The strong direct effect of number of spikes per plant on grain yield was completely counterbalanced by its indirect negative effects via number of grains per spike and 1000-grain weight. Number of grains per spike and 1000-grain weight were positively correlated with grain yield, and they had large direct effects. These two characters, however, were negatively correlated and exhibited a substantial counterbalance effect via one another and via number of spikes per plant. The landraces could be improved by intercrossing the promising genotypes identified in this study, with simultaneous selection for earliness, fewer number of spikes per plant, greater number of grains per spike and heavier grains. For further improvement, crossing programs between the landraces and introduced germplasm may be necessary. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

The Nutritive Value and Yield of Alfalfa in Relation to Nitrogen Fertilization on Sulphur Industry Reclaimed Lands

The aim of this study was to determine the direction and magnitude of change in morphological and agronomical characters of spring barley ( Hordeum vulgare L.) in Germany over a period of 80 years and to assess the value of various strategies for further crop improvement. Old and new two-rowed cultivars, eight in each case, were tested together with their F₂ intra-group diallel crosses in a field trial at Braunschweig-Völkenrode in 1994. New parents and their crosses showed a higher dry matter grain and total biomass yield, a lower plant height, and a higher harvest index as compared to the respective old germplasm. The annual genetic gain in grain yield was estimated at 0.15%. The superior grain yield of the new germplasm was attributable to the higher number of ears per plant and the larger kernel weight. The F₂ mid-parent heterosis in grain yield was 7.6 and 7.2 % for the old and new crosses, respectively. The differences between the two types of crosses were nonsignificant except for the higher heterosis for plant height in the new crosses. General combining ability effects were significant for all characters in both types of crosses, whereas specific combining ability effects were significant in a few cases only. In the new crosses, a significant positive correlation was found between grain yield and straw yield (r = 0.52), whereas no such association was observed between grain yield and harvest index. For further gain in grain yield, improvement of the straw yield is more promising than increasing harvest index.     

Direct and indirect selection for grain yield in oats (avena sativa L.)

Direct and indirect selection for increased grain yield were carried out on a population of 678 F₂-derived lines of oats. A selection intensity of 10% was used with direct selection (selection for grain yield itself) and with indirect selection using three criteria, harvest index, vegetative growth rate, and the index of harvest index + vegetative growth rate. Expected gains from 1978 evaluations were compared to actual gains measured in 1980. Actual grain yield increases were 4, 8, 7, and 6% from selection via harvest index, vegetative growth rate, grain yield, and harvest index + vegetative growth rate, respectively. Thus, indirect selection via vegetative growth rate gave a greater increase in grain yield than did direct selection. Heritability values computed via components of variance ranged from 0.50 to0.57 for the three traits, harvest index, vegetative growth rate, and grain yield, whereas regression heritabilities ranged from 0.41 to 0.55. Realized heritabilities were 0.33, 1.00 and 0.89 for the three traits, respectively. Selection via all criteria caused significant changes in nearly all agronomic traits except weight per volume. Vegetative growth rate, which gave the greatest gain in grain yield, caused less drastic changes in days to anthesis, plant height, biological yield, and vegetative yield than did direct selection for grain yield.     

Character Associations Among Grain Yield, Biological Yield and Harvest Index

The harvest index Z is defined, for example for cereals, as the ratio between grain yield X and biological yield Y: Z = X/Y. In this paper the character associations among biological yield, grain yield and harvest index have been investigated theoretically by calculating the covariances and correlation coefficients between harvest index and grain yield and, additionally, between harvest index and biological yield. Explicit formulae are derived for these covariances and correlation coefficients and conclusions are derived and discussed. Many facts and relations among these characters which are well-known and frequently established by many experimental studies with quite different crops can be obtained and characterized by these theoretical investigations as necessary implications of the underlying statistical relationships.
Finally, all the theoretical studies and results are demonstrated and applied to a numerical example of winter-rapeseed data.     

Quantitative-genetic parameters of sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] grown in semi-arid areas of Kenya

Low and erratic rainfall constitutes a major constraint to sorghum production, and impedes sorghum improvement in semi-arid tropics. To estimate quantitative-genetic parameters for sorghum under variable stress conditions, three sets of factorial crosses between four by four lines each were grown with parents and a local cultivar in eight macro-environments in semi-arid areas of Kenya. Fourteen traits were recorded including grain yield, above-ground drymatter, harvest index, days to anthesis, leaf rolling score, and stay-green. Environmental means for grain yield ranged from 167 to 595 g m-2. Mean hybrid superiority over mid-parent values was 47, 31, and 9% for grain yield, above-ground drymatter, and harvest index, respectively. Differences among both lines and hybrids were highly significant for all traits. Genotype × environment interaction variances were larger than genotypic variances for grain yield, above-ground drymatter, and harvest index. Corresponding heritabilities ranged between 0.72 and 0.84. Variation among hybrids was determined by GCA and SCA effects for most characters. Predominance of additive-genetic effects was found for grain yield components, plant height, and leaf rolling score. Lack of variation in GCA was noted among female lines for major performance traits. While low leaf rolling score was correlated with high grain yield, there was no such association for stay-green. Hybrid breeding could contribute to sorghum improvement for semi-arid areas of Kenya. To increase selection progress for major performance traits, genetic variation among female lines should be enhanced. Importance of genotype × environment interaction underlines the necessity of evaluating breeding materials under a broad range of dryland conditions.     

Remobilization of Nitrogen and Carbohydrate from Stems of Bread Wheat in Response to Heat Stress during Grain Filling

When wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is grown under heat-stress conditions during grain filling, preanthesis stored total non-structural carbohydrates (TNC) and nitrogen (N) could serve as alternative source of assimilates. This study was performed to evaluate wheat genotypes for their ability to accumulate and remobilize TNC and N stored in their stem to support grain filling under heat stress. Eighteen genotypes were used for N remobilization study while nine of them were used for TNC remobilization study. They were grown in pots and placed in a vinyl house with the maximum temperature kept below 30 °C. Five days after anthesis (5DAA), half of the pots were taken to phytotrons where temperature was gradually increased and the maximum was set at 38 °C. Grain yield and grain weight decreased by about 35 % under heat stress. Significant differences were found among genotypes in percentage reduction in grain yield, grain weight, grain filling duration and harvest index because of heat stress. The N and TNC concentrations of the stem at 5DAA were significantly different among genotypes. Heat stress significantly reduced the N remobilization efficiency of most of genotypes. However, heat stress significantly increased TNC remobilization efficiency and significant variation were observed among genotypes. N remobilization efficiency across treatments significantly correlated with grain yield, grain weight, harvest index and grain filling duration. TNC at 5DAA negatively correlated with N at 5DAA and harvest index, but the TNC remobilization efficiency under heat stress positively correlated with mainstem grain yield, grain weight and harvest index. The rate of chlorophyll loss from flag leaf positively correlated with N and TNC remobilization efficiencies under heat stress suggesting a link between leaf senescence and remobilization efficiency. The results indicate that heat stress negatively affected grain yield, its components and N remobilization while it increased TNC remobilization because of the increasing demand for resources.     

施氮量对垄作小麦氮肥利用率和土壤硝态氮含量的影响

以平作为对照,研究了垄作种植方式下施氮量对冬小麦氮肥吸收利用、0~100 cm土层土壤硝态氮含量以及产量的影响。在一定范围内增加施氮量,小麦的氮肥利用率降低,土壤氮的贡献率降低,小麦植株内的氮素积累量增加,收获指数提高,产量增加。低氮(0~66 kg hm^-2)条件下,小麦生育期间土壤硝态氮淋洗损失的可能小,小麦收获后0~100 cm土体内不会累积大量硝态氮。施氮量在165~264 kg hm^-2时,60~100 cm土体内土壤硝态氮含量增加,出现硝态氮下移趋势。种植方式影响小麦的氮肥利用效率,垄作种植小麦氮肥利用率和产量均高于平作小麦。垄作种植麦田60~80 cm土体内土壤硝态氮含量相对较高,而平作种植麦田80~100 cm土层硝态氮含量相对较高。种植方式对氮肥利用率的影响大于施氮量的影响, 但施氮量对氮素收获指数、籽粒产量以及经济系数的影响大于种植方式的影响。本试验条件下,2种种植方式在施氮量为纯氮165 kg hm^-2时可以获得较高的氮肥利用率和氮素收获指数,平作小麦氮肥利用率为35.75%~36.41%,而垄作小麦为45.32%~47.25%; 但2种种植方式的小麦都是施氮量为纯氮264 kg hm^-2时获得最高产量, 平作和垄作小麦的最高产量分别达8 078.31 kg hm^-2和
8 212.27 kg hm^-2。     

Variation and association analysis in coriander

Summary Two hundred genotypes of Coriandrum sativum L. exhibited genetic variation for plant height, primary and effective branches, days to flowering and maturity, umbels and umbellets per plant, grains per umbellet, thousand seed weight, straw yield and grain yield per plant and harvest index. Heritability estimates were high for days to flowering, thousand seed weight and days to maturity; moderate for plant height, straw yield, umbels per plant, umbellets per plant and number of primary branches; and low for harvest index, effective branches, grain yield per plant and grains per umbellet. Phenotypic correlations of grain yield per plant were highly significant and positive with umbellets per plant, umbels per plant, number of effective branches, straw yield per plant, number of primary branches, plant height, number of grains per umbellet and harvest index. Maximum direct contribution to grain yield per plant was made by umbellets per plant, followed by straw yield per plant, umbels per plant and grains per umbellet. Umbellets per plant made sizeable indirect effect via straw yield per plant. Straw yield per plant made sizeable indirect contribution via umbellets per plant.     

Variation of harvest index in several wheat crosses

Summary Harvest index was studied in F₁ and F₂ generations of eight wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) crosses and their reciprocals. The parental varieties involved in the crosses represented a fairly wide range of character expression for plant height, tillering potential, grain yield per plant and harvest index. Differences between reciprocal crosses were not evident for the expression of harvest index of the crosses under study. Means and degrees of dominance of F₁ and F₂ populations suggested partial dominance of high harvest index over low harvest index. The pattern of variation among F₂ segregates was quantitative and the distribution was normal. The gene action governing the expression of harvest index was largely additive. Evidence was obtained for non-additive gene action in some crosses. There was complete absence of high parent heterosis for harvest index in the F₁'s but midparent heterosis was found to be present in all crosses. Estimates of heritability and genetic advance were moderate to high. Usefulness of selecting for harvest index as a measure of yield efficiency particularly in early generations is discussed.     

Relationship between grain yield and grain nitrogen concentration in winter triticale

Summary Ten hexaploid winter triticale lines were grown for two cropping periods at three locations in western Switzerland. Averaged across the six environments, the differences between lines were statistically significant (P=0.05) for grain yield, above-ground biomass, N uptake, grain N yield, nitrogen harvest index, grain N concentration and straw N concentration. There were significant line x environment interactions for all traits. Grain yield and grain N concentration were inversely related (r=–0.74^**). Diagrams in which grain yields were plotted against grain N concentration were used to identify lines with a consistently unusual combination of grain yield and grain N concentration. Despite comparable grain yields, Line 3 had a high grain N concentration, while that of Line 7 was low. Line 3 was superior to Line 7 in both N uptake and N harvest index. Averaged across environments and lines, the N harvest index was 0.73 which corresponds to N harvest indices reported for bread wheat in the same region. We considered the feasibility of developing triticale lines which would outperform the best recent ones in N uptake and partitioning. However, we doubted that this would bring about a marked increase in grain N concentration, because, in the long run, the expected genetic progress in grain yield will lead to a dilution of grain protein by grain carbohydrate increments.Abbreviations GNC grain N concentration - GNY grain N yield - GY grain yield - HI above-ground dry matter harvest index - NHI nitrogen harvest index - SNC straw N concentration - TB total above-ground biomass - TPN total plant N     

两个抗旱小麦资源主要农艺性状配合力和遗传力分析

本研究选用２个抗旱小麦和４个农艺亲本,按Ｇｒｉｆｉｎｇ双列杂交方法４配制１５个组合。对２个抗旱小麦Ｃ抗８和Ｃ抗９和１０个主要农艺性状的配合力和遗传进行了分析。结果表明：抗旱小麦Ｃ抗８在单株穗数、单株产量和收获指数等性状有高的一般配合力,且收获指数的特殊配合力方差最大。Ｃ抗９的每穗粒数、千粒重、单株产量和收获指数等几个性状的一般配合力效应值为负值,但其特殊配合力方差较高或中等。株高、千粒重、穗长、小     

Analysis of Wheat Cultivar Differences in Grain Yield, Grain Nitrogen Yield and Nitrogen Utilization Efficiency.

More detailed information on the causes of yield variability among wheat cultivars is needed to further increase wheat yield. Field studies were conducted in Northern Greece over the two cropping seasons of 1985—1986 and 1986—1987 to assess the effects of nitrogen fertilizer and application timing of the various component traits that determine grain yield, grain nitrogen yield and nitrogen utilization efficiency of two bread ( Triticum aestivum L.) and two durum ( Triticum durum Desf.) wheat cultivars, using yield and yield component analysis. Nitrogen at a rate of 150 kg ha^-1 was applied before planting or 100 N kg ha^-1 before planting and then 50 N kg ha^-1 top dressed at early boot stage. Nitrogen and cultivars affected all traits examined, while split nitrogen application affected only some of the traits. Grain yields in the most cases were correlated with number of grains per unit area and grain weight and grain nitrogen yields in all cases with grain number per unit area. The contribution of the number of grains per spike to total variation in grain yield among cultivars was almost consistent (37 to 55 %), while the contribution of grain weight was more significant (up to 55 %) in high yields (>6.500kg ha^-1) and number of spikes per unit area (>500). The number of grains per spike contributed from 60 to 83 % to the total variation in grain nitrogen per spike. Increased grain nitrogen concentration resulted in a reduction of its contribution in grain nitrogen yield variation. Nitrogen utilization efficiency was higher during grain filling than during vegetative biomass accumulation. The contribution of nitrogen harvest index to the variation of utilization efficiency for grain yield was higher in plants receiving nitrogen application.