水氮管理模式对不同氮效率水稻氮素利用特性及产量的影响

以高产氮高效品种(德香4103)和中产氮低效品种(宜香3724)为材料,通过“淹水灌溉+氮肥优化运筹(W1N1)”、“控制性交替灌溉+氮肥优化运筹(W2N1)”、“旱种+氮肥优化运筹(W3N2)” 3种水氮管理模式处理,研究其对氮素利用及产量的影响及其生理特性,并探讨氮素利用及产量与生理响应间的关系。结果表明,氮效率品种间的差异与水氮管理模式对水稻氮素利用特征、灌溉水生产效率、生理特性及产量均存在显著影响;不同氮效率品种间在氮肥利用效率方面的差异明显高于水氮管理模式的调控效应;而水氮管理模式对灌溉水生产效率、总吸氮量、氮素干物质生产效率及稻谷生产效率的调控作用显著。W2N1相对于W1N1及W3N2水氮管理模式能促进不同氮效率水稻拔节至抽穗期、抽穗至成熟期氮素的累积,提高功能叶谷氨酰胺合成酶(GS)活性、光合速率(P_n)及根系活力,进而提高稻谷产量及氮肥利用率,且对中产氮低效品种的调控效应显著高于对高产氮高效品种,为本试验最佳的水氮管理模式。高产氮高效品种的平均总颖花数、拔节至抽穗期稻株氮累积量、功能叶GS活性、P_n及根系活力均显著高于氮低效品种,尤其结实期高产氮高效品种更有利于维持叶片及根系的代谢同化能力,利于氮素转运、再分配到籽粒中提高稻谷生产效率及氮肥利用效率,是氮高效品种相对于氮低效品种高产、氮高效利用的重要原因。相关分析表明,水氮管理模式下不同氮效率水稻主要生育时期功能叶GS活性、P_n及根系活力与氮素利用及稻谷产量均存在显著或极显著的正相关;尤其以水稻抽穗期剑叶GS活性及根系活力与氮素利用及稻谷产量的正相关性最高。     

Diversity of crop development traits and nitrogen use efficiency among potato cultivars grown under contrasting nitrogen regimes

Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) requires abundant nitrogen (N) to perform well and has low nitrogen use efficiency (NUE). We assessed phenotypic variation among 189 potato cultivars for NUE and the association between NUE and ecophysiological variables describing canopy development (CDv), under high and low N input. In 2009 and 2010, 189 cultivars were grown with N supply (soil N + fertiliser N) of 75 or 180 kg N/ha at Bant, the Netherlands. CDv was assessed weekly as the percentage of soil covered by green potato leaves (%SC). Data were analysed using a model that described CDv as a function of thermal time, based on the Beta function and estimates of cardinal temperatures. Nitrogen significantly affected model-derived, biologically relevant, curve-fit parameters for each cultivar. The t 1 (i.e., thermal time required to reach maximum soil cover (Vx)) was higher at low than at high N. Other parameters were higher at high than at low N, especially Vx and the period over which it was maintained. Nitrogen also affected tuber dry matter yield, tuber size and weight distributions, N content and N uptake but not tuber dry matter percentage. The total area under the %SC curve was highly correlated with yield in both years. Cultivars performing well under high N also performed well under low N. There was large variation in NUE component traits among cultivars; maturity type partially explained this variation. Variables of the CDv model captured this variation, N effects on light interception and its correlation with yield.     

Nitrogen nutrition index and its relationship to N use efficiency in linseed

Plant-based diagnostic techniques such as the nitrogen nutrition index (NNI) are used to determine the level of crop N nutrition, but research, especially on linseed, is limited. The objectives of this study were to determine whether there is a relationship between the NNI of linseed and N use efficiency (NUE) and to use NNI as a diagnostic tool for predicting seed yield response to N fertilization. The relationship between NNI and NUE was investigated in a two year field study of three linseed cultivars (Livia, Lirina, Creola) under different N fertilization conditions (0, 40, and 80 kg ha^?1). N fertilization affected N concentration in different plant parts. The NNI varied from 0.65 to 1.16 across years, growth stage, and cultivar and was affected by the fertilization level. Linseed NUE and its components (N uptake efficiency and N utilization efficiency) were also affected by the cultivar, N fertilization, growing season, and interactions among these variables. N utilization efficiency accounted for more of the variation of NUE than did N uptake efficiency in most cases, and a negative correlation was found between NUE and N utilization efficiency and also between seed yield and NNI. This study provides new information about the effect of N application on NNI and NUE in linseed. High yields of linseed are dependent on an adequate supply of N, which can be diagnosed using NNI.     

Bph15在非洲栽培稻、药用野生稻和宽叶野生稻中的BAC-FISH比较物理定位

用覆盖抗褐飞虱基因Bph15的两个BAC克隆，即20M14 (27 kb)和64O9 (36 kb)作为探针，对非洲栽培稻、药用野生稻和宽叶野生稻体细胞染色体进行荧光原位杂交(FISH)。两个BAC克隆均被定位于非洲栽培稻和药用野生稻第4染色体的短臂上，杂交信号的百分距离分别为37.03±4.11和81.22±3.62，相应的信号检出率为41.18%和38.22%。在宽叶野生稻中，有两对同源染色体同时检出信号，分别定位于染色体的短臂和着丝粒区，信号距着丝粒平均百分距离分别为87.78±5.23和0，信号检出率为52.58%。由此推知，这两个BAC克隆在非洲栽培稻和药用野生稻的第4染色体分布同线且同区，并且在宽叶野生稻的DD基因组也存在Bph15基因的同源序列。在未封阻的情况下，BAC克隆在非洲栽培稻的多条染色体上有杂交信号，表明它和栽培稻C_0t-1 DNA在一定程度上具有同源性。上述结果初步显示Bph15在3个稻种染色体中的相对位置。文章讨论了Bph15在3个种间的关系，为有效分离和利用Bph15基因提供了有益的依据，对不同基因组及二倍体和四倍体中功能基因可能进化机制的分析提供了线索。     

Genetic diversity for nitrogen use efficiency in spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) cultivars using the Ingestad model on hydroponics

Spinach is a leafy vegetable that requires a high N fertilization to have a satisfactory yield and quality, in part because it has poor nitrogen use efficiency (NUE). Therefore, there is a need to breed for cultivars with an excellent NUE. To this end the genetic diversity for NUE-related traits was studied in a diverse set of commercial cultivars. This set was evaluated in a hydroponic system using the Ingestad model; the system was set at a relative growth rate of 0.14 and 0.18 g g^?1 day^?1 (low and high N, respectively). Experiments were performed at low and high plant density. Traits monitored for single plants included fresh and dry weight, leaf area, specific leaf area, dry weight ratio between root and shoot, and chlorophyll content. The high density experiment showed more genotypic variation for the observed traits than the low density one. Biomass production was considerably lower at low than at high N. Path analysis revealed that leaf area had the highest direct effect on NUE, while specific leaf area was an important trait determining variation in NUE at low N. Slow and fast growing genotypes were shown to use different strategies to utilize N, and these strategies are expressed differently at high and low N availability. This indicates that improving spinach for NUE is feasible using the analysed genotypes as source material, and different strategies can be targeted for adaptation of spinach cultivars to low N conditions.     

Associations of <Emphasis Type="Italic">NAM</Emphasis>-<Emphasis Type="Italic">A1</Emphasis> alleles with the onset of senescence and nitrogen use efficiency under Western Australian conditions

Wheat grain yield and protein content are significantly influenced by the onset of senescence and the duration of the grain filling phase. The onset of senescence also affects Nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) through interacting pathways involving N accumulation and translocation of N into the grains. The objective of this study was to relate variation in NUE and its components with two groups of the NAM-A1 gene alleles; (i) early onset of senescence in cultivars carrying the NAM-A1a allele, (ii) delayed onset of senescence in cultivars carrying the Non-NAM-A1a allele (b, c, d) in wheat cultivars grown under Western Australia conditions. A field trial was carried out over two seasons examining 19 cultivars under different N rates and time of N application. The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index was utilized to determine the onset of senescence after anthesis. The early onset of senescence results in high grain yield, harvest index, and NUE due to improvements in the N utilization ability. Accelerating the onset of senescence results in a short grain filling period leading to grain maturity before the onset of unfavourable summer conditions. The function of alleles of NAM-A1 gene in controlling senescence hence the NUE is highly regulated by environmental conditions. This study concluded that the function of NAM-A1a allele induces the onset of senescence with a positive effect on the NUE and its components under Western Australian conditions.     

Intraspecific Variation in Nitrogen Uptake and Nitrogen Utilization Efficiency in Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Twenty wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) varieties differing in plant height were grown in soil culture and evaluated for differences in nitrogen uptake and nitrogen utilization efficiency (NUE) at limited (40 kg N ha⁻¹) and normal (120 kg N ha⁻¹) nitrogen supply. Nitrogen uptake showed 1.4- and 1.5-fold varietal variation at harvest for limited and normal N supply, respectively. NUE for dry matter production (NE1) exhibited 1.28- and 1.38-fold genotypic variation while NUE for grain production (NE2) varied by 1.25- and 1.21-fold at limited and normal N supply, respectively. Tall varieties were found to have higher N uptake and NUE for dry matter production, while dwarf cultivars had greater NUE for grain production. Nitrogen uptake was found to be strongly positively associated with dry matter production (r=0.85 and r =0.77 at limited and normal N supply, respectively), indicating an important effect of growth rate on N uptake. NUE for biomass production, as well as for grain production, was reduced as the supply of nitrogen was increased.     

Dense planting with less basal nitrogen fertilization might benefit rice cropping for high yield with less environmental impacts

Dense planting and less basal nitrogen (N) fertilization have been recommended to further increase rice (Oryza sativa L.) grain yield and N use efficiency (NUE), respectively. The objective of this study was to evaluate the integrative impacts of dense planting with reduced basal N application (DR) on rice yield, NUE and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Field experiments with one conventional sparse planting (CK) and four treatments of dense planting (increased seedlings per hill) with less basal N application were conducted in northeast China from 2012 to 2013. In addition, a two-factor experiment was conducted to isolate the effect of planting density and basal N rate on CH₄ emission in 2013. Our results show that an increase in planting density by about 50% with a correspondingly reduction in basal N rate by about 30% (DR1 and DR2) enhanced NUE by 14.3–50.6% and rice grain yield by 0.5–7.4% over CK. Meanwhile, DR1 and DR2 reduced GWP by 6.4–12.6% and yield-scaled GWP by 7.0–17.0% over CK. According to the two-factor experiment, soil CH₄ production and oxidation and CH₄ emission were not affected by planting density. However, reduced basal N rate decreased CH₄ emission due to it significantly reduced soil CH₄ production with a smaller reduction in soil CH₄ oxidation. The above results indicate that moderate dense planting with less basal N application might be an environment friendly mode for rice cropping for high yield and NUE with less GHG emissions.     

Cultivar × rhizobial strain interactions in peas with respect to early symbiosis, nodule initiation and N uptake

Sixteen pea cultivars differing in their phenotypic characteristics were studied in order to characterize the cultivars' variability in symbiotic characters using three Rhizobium leguminosarum biovar viceae strains. The peas did not show any cultivar × strain interactions with the rhizobial strains used with respect to root hair infection frequency or day of nodule initiation. Three cultivars had high root hair infection frequencies, and five had only a few infected root hairs. Four of five leafless/semi-leafless varieties investigated and one cultivar with normal leaves formed nodules quickly, whereas three varieties with normal leaves formed nodules slowly. Ten of the cultivars showed cultivar × strain interactions with respect to N uptake, indicating that the performance of the N2-fixing symbioses depends on the rhizobial partner. Six cultivars showed cultivar × strain interactions with respect to dry matter production and the nodule proportion of the dry matter. Of the cultivars investigated, we conclude that some of the leafless/semi-leafless varieties (‘Capella’, ‘Filby’ and ‘Solara’) are suitable for inclusion in a future breeding programme, since these cultivars combined several important symbiotic characters.     

Phenological responses of Oryza sativa, O. glaberrima and inter-specific rice cultivars on a toposquence in West Africa

Phenological properties of rice cultivars, particularly crop duration, determine their yield potential, local agronomic suitability and ability to escape from drought. Crop duration of a given cultivar depends mainly on photoperiod (PP) and temperature, but is also affected by the crop establishment practice and environmental stresses. A sample of 84 ecologically and genetically diverse rice cultivars was sown on five dates between May and September 1997 on the flooded-lowland (transplant), hydromorphic and upland levels of a toposequence at 7^° 52′ N in Cote d'Ivoire, in order to characterize the cultivars' phenological responses. In the upland, life-saving sprinkler irrigation was applied when drought symptoms were visible. A non-replicated design augmented with four replicated checks (four replications per ecosystem) was used. Phenology was characterized by date of emergence, first heading, 50% flowering and maturity. The period from emergence to flowering was subdivided into three phases following a simple model used at IRRI to characterize germplasm for photoperiodism. For each ecosystem and cultivar, the basic vegetative period (BVP) was estimated by subtracting 30 d from the duration to flowering at the sowing date associated with the shortest duration, and expressed in degree-days (dd), assuming a base temperature of 10 ^°C. The PP-sensitive phase (PSP) was estimated by subtracting BVP+30 d from the time to flowering. PP-sensitivity (PS) was calculated from the apparent change in PSP between 12.0 and 12.5 h mean astronomic daylength during the PSP, by regression across dates. Cultivars differed strongly in BVP (300 to 1200 dd) and PS (0 to 1000 dd). The BVP was generally longer in the lowland than in the hydromorph, and mostly longer in the upland than in the hydromorph, possibly due to transplanting shock (lowland) and drought (upland). Many cultivars, particularly upland-adapted japonicas, had a greater PS in the lowland than in the upland. Principal-component and cluster analyses based on BVP and PS in each of the three ecosystems established three large and three small groups of cultivars having common phenological responses. The linkage groups were associated with ecotypes (lowland vs upland, traditional vs improved) and genetic groups (O. sativa japonica and indica, O. glaberrima, inter-specific progenies). The groups were seen to represent past selection strategies by farmers and recent breeding strategies, with respect to achieving yield stability in the various ecosystems. For example, indigenous selection strategies for O. sativa upland rices seem to have favored a long BVP, whereas from O. glaberrima, which generally has a superior initial vigor, cultivars with a short BVP have been selected. The authors conclude that the modern upland rice breeding strategy for the region on the basis O. sativa, which aims at drought escape using a short BVP, is paralleled by existing indigenous O. glaberrima materials. Efforts to utilize these materials for breeding are ongoing. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Variation for nitrogen use efficiency traits in current and historical great plains hard winter wheat

Wheat genotypes that efficiently capture and convert available soil nitrogen into harvested grain protein are key to sustainably meeting the rising global demand for grain protein. The purposes of this study were: to characterize the genetic variation for nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) traits within hard winter wheat adapted to the Great Plains of the United States and evaluate trends in the germplasm with year of release; to explore relationships among traits that may be used for selection within breeding programs; and to identify quantitative trait loci associated with NUE traits in this germplasm. NUE traits were measured in a panel of 299 hard winter wheat genotypes, representing historically important and contemporary germplasm, from across the growing region. Trials were grown in two years at two levels of nitrogen fertility. Genotype and genotype × year interaction effects were highly significant for NUE traits, while genotype × nitrogen rate interactions were non-significant. Strong genetic correlations of plant height and flowering date with NUE traits were observed. Wheat breeders have improved NUE: the subset of 183 genotypes that were released as cultivars after 1960 demonstrated significant trends with year of release for improved grain N yield, grain yield, nitrogen harvest index, nitrogen uptake efficiency, nitrogen utilization efficiency, and post-anthesis nitrogen uptake. In genome-wide association analyses, plant height and flowering date were important covariates in the mixed models, and plant height and flowering date substantially explained the variation in NUE traits in this germplasm. Marker-trait associations were identified that may prove useful in breeding.     

Chromosome Studies in the Genus Alstroemeria

Chromosomes of 11 cultivars of Alstroemeria were studied to determine their somatic constitutions. Two cultivars, ‘Eureka’ and ‘Zebra’, were diploid (2n = 2×= 16), six cultivars, ‘Yellow King’, ‘King Cardinal’, ‘Mona Lisa’, ‘Appelbloesem’, ‘Pink Triumph’ and ‘Rosita’ were triploid with 2n = 3×= 24, one cultivar, ‘Orange Beauty’ was a hypertriploid (2n = 3×+ 1 = 25), one cultivar, ‘Luciana’ was a hypotetraploid (2n = 4×– 1 =31) and one cultivar, ‘Jubilee’, was true tetraploid (2n = 4×= 32). This result suggests that polyploid cultivars may have more market value in this cut flower, Alstroemeria.     

施氮量对不同水稻品种氮肥利用率与农艺性状的影响

为探明施氮量对不同水稻品种产量、氮肥利用率和农艺性状的影响,以适合江苏省种植的12个中粳稻（含籼/粳杂交稻）品种为材料,大田种植,设置0N（全生育期不施氮）、200N（全生育期施纯氮200kg/hm ²）和360N（全生育期施纯氮360kg/hm²）3个施氮量处理,研究各品种产量、氮肥利用率和一些农艺性状的差异。结果表明：甬优2640在3个施氮水平产量均最高,库容量大是其高产的主要原因。其他品种产量对氮肥响应的表现不一。在较低氮（0N、200N）条件下,淮稻13号和武运粳30的产量较高,宁粳1号和扬粳4038的产量较低。在高氮（360N）条件下,宁粳1号和扬粳4038产量较高。在较低施氮量条件下,产量和氮肥利用率较高的品种具有较高的干物质积累量、茎蘖成穗率、叶面积指数、粒叶比及群体生长速率,这些指标可作为筛选氮高效品种的农艺性状指标。     

高土壤肥力环境下不同类型粳稻品种产量对氮肥用量的响应

以13个粳稻品种为材料, 设计5种氮肥用量, 研究高肥环境下氮肥用量对粳稻产量及其构成的影响, 并比较不同产量、结实率、每穗粒数、千粒重和穗数水平粳稻品种对氮肥的响应。结果如下: (1) 粳稻产量以施氮处理显著高于不施氮处理, 多数粳稻品种在施氮量为150~225 kg hm^-2时产量最高; 每穗粒数和有效穗数随施氮量的增加而增加, 但当施氮量超过225 kg hm^-2时反而下降, 而千粒重和结实率随施氮量的增加一直呈下降趋势。(2) 氮肥对不同产量水平、穗数水平粳稻品种的增产效应不同。不施氮时产量越低的粳稻品种对氮肥越敏感, 少量施用氮肥即起到较好的增产效果, 而不施氮时产量越高的粳稻品种对氮肥相对钝感, 氮肥施用量<75 kg hm^-2时对其产量无明显促进作用。穗数<220×104穗 hm^-2和>310×104穗 hm^-2的粳稻品种的适宜施氮量低于穗数居中的粳稻品种。(3) 1980年以前育成的品种对氮肥的反应相对一致, 多数在施氮量225 kg hm^-2时产量最高; 而1980年后育成的粳稻品种最高产时的N水平相对分散。     

Increasing biodiversity of irrigated rice in Africa by interspecific crossing of Oryza glaberrima (Steud.) × O. sativa indica (L.)

The African rice Oryza glaberrima, traditionally cultivated since more than 3.500 years, is of poor agronomic performance but resistant/tolerant to various stresses and diseases. The introduction of these characters into O. sativa cultivars is difficult since crossing barriers cause spikelet sterility in F1. Backcrossing can restore fertility and recently facilitated the development of fertile O. glaberrima × O. sativa ssp. japonica hybrid progenies for rain fed systems. With the objective to gain access to African rice germplasm for improvement of irrigated rice, crosses were performed with eighteen O. glaberrima and twenty O. sativa ssp. indica accessions. In total about one hundred F1-hybrid grains were obtained. The F1 plants were all completely sterile and backcrossing (BC) to O. sativa was performed in order to restore spikelet fertility. Monitoring of Tog5681 × IR64 hybrid progenies under field conditions revealed a broad genetic diversity within the BC₁ and BC₂ populations. Some BC₁ and BC₂ progeny plants outperformed the O. sativa parent, indicating that the heterozygocity level and complementary gene action after two backcrosses are still sufficient to positively influence plant vigor. Spikelet fertility of progenies was highly variable, but almost complete fertility was already observed within the BC₁F₂ population. High spikelet fertility was preserved in one out of two analyzed BC₁F₃ families and inmost of the BC₂F₃ families. The ability to restore spikelet fertility within few generations and the potential of the genetic diversity present in interspecific progenies facilitates the development of plant types specifically designed for the African irrigated and lowland environment. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Mapping three new interspecific hybrid sterile loci between Oryza sativa and O. glaberrima

Hybrid sterility hinders the transfer of useful traits between Oryza sativa and O. glaberrima. In order to further understand the nature of interspecific hybrid sterility between these two species, a strategy of multi-donors was used to elucidate the range of interspecific hybrid sterility in this study. Fifty-nine accessions of O. glaberrima were used as female parents for hybridization with japonica cultivar Dianjingyou 1, after several backcrossings using Dianjingyou 1 as the recurrent parent and 135 BC₆F₁ sterile plants were selected for genotyping and deducing hybrid sterility QTLs. BC₆F₁ plants containing heterozygous target markers were selected and used to raise BC₇F₁ mapping populations for QTL confirmation and as a result, one locus for gamete elimination on chromosome 1 and two loci for pollen sterility on chromosome 4 and 12, which were distinguished from previous reports, were confirmed and designated as S37(t), S38(t) and S39(t), respectively. These results will be valuable for understanding the range of interspecific hybrid sterility, cloning these genes and improving rice breeding through gene introgression.     

The transfer of a gene for glutinous endosperm to Oryza glaberrima Steud. From a japonica variety of O. sativa L.

Summary In common rice, Oryza sativa L. (n=12), the gene Am for non-glutinous is dominant over the gene am for glutinous. In African rice, O. glaberrima Steud. (n=12), no spontaneous glutinous strain has been found, but recently a glutinous strain of glaberrima was induced by EMS-treatment.The interspecific cytoplasm substitution line with sativa cytoplasm and glaberrima nucleus is male sterile. It has been confirmed that the complete restoration of pollen fertility in this male sterile line is attributed to a single dominant nuclear gene Rf _j.Trial to transfer gene am from sativa to glaberrima was commenced with backcrosses of the F₁ hybrid (glutinous sativa cv. Iwai-mochi × glaberrima ) to glaberrima type plants of the substitution line homozygous for Rf _j,using the latter as the pollen parent. At the B₁ step, highly fertile glaberrima type Am/am plants were obtained. Thereafter plants of this type were backcrossed to normal glaberrima as the recurrent pollen parent to complete the nuclear substitution. It was confirmed that the EMS-induced glutinous character of glaberrima was a monogenic recessive and that the same gene controls the expression of glutinous character in the different rice species, sativa and glaberrima.     

磷对花生氮素吸收和利用的影响

磷是植物必需营养元素之一,以多种方式影响作物氮吸收、利用。花生属于豆科作物,氮素营养来源包括土壤、肥料和根瘤固氮。本研究以山东省主推品种花育22号(大花生)和花育20号(小花生)为材料,设置5个施磷(P2O5)水平(0、45、90、135和180 kg hm–2),利用15N示踪技术,进行了2年桶栽试验。结果表明,施磷提高了两花生品种肥料氮、土壤氮及根瘤固氮积累量,其中根瘤固氮积累量的增幅大于土壤氮和肥料氮,年份和品种间表现基本一致;随施磷量增加,根瘤数量、鲜重及根瘤固氮积累比例呈增加趋势,土壤氮、肥料氮积累比例呈降低趋势;施磷量在45～90 kg hm–2范围内,氮肥利用效率、荚果氮素利用效率及产量均呈增加趋势,施磷量超过90 kg hm–2,上述三指标呈降低趋势或不再增加;磷肥农学效率随施磷量增加而降低;根瘤固氮积累量与荚果产量、植株全氮积累量呈极显著正相关,与土壤氮、肥料氮积累比例及氮素荚果利用效率呈极显著负相关。根瘤固氮积累比例与土壤氮和肥料氮积累量、供氮比例及氮肥利用率呈极显著负相关。综上,施磷能增加花生根瘤固氮供氮量及供氮比例,降低对肥料氮和土壤氮的依赖,但过量施磷不利于氮、磷效率和产量的提高。45～90 kg hm–2 (P2O5)为花生适宜施磷量。     

Variation in utilization efficiency and tolerance to reduced water and nitrogen supply among wild and cultivated barleys

Broad genotypic variation in the response to low soilmoisture and reduced nitrogen supply was found amongthe wild Hordeum spontaneum accessions and thelandraces and modern cultivars of H. vulgare ofdifferent geographic origin. Measurements at the endof vegetative growth in plants grown in soil culturesrevealed genotypically specific responses to the usedenvironmental factors. Cultivars and breeding linesfrom Syria and Ethiopian landraces combined bothdrought resistance and tolerance to low nitrogen. TheSyrian barleys were also distinguished by a highnitrogen utilization efficiency (NUE) under low Nnutrition. European cultivars indicated a pooradaptation to N shortage, but some of them wereresistant to soil drought. No stress resistant barleyswere found among the wild accessions and Sardinianlandraces. Genotypic differences in the relativevalues of NUE and water use efficiency were associatedwith low N-tolerance. Some Syrian selections,Ethiopian landraces and the modern German cv. Maresiwere found to be most drought resistant. Maintenanceof a relatively high photosynthetic activity of theuppermost leaves was associated with droughtresistance. As far as concerning with the vegetativegrowth phase, the modern Syrian germplasm andEthiopian landraces may be recommended as donors ofadaptative characters for local barley breeding.