Reappraisal of methods of application of nitrogen and phosphorus at sowing on the yield,grain protein content and nitrogen economy of malting barley in Sweden |
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Authors: | C G Pettersson |
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Institution: | 1. Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Crop Production Ecology , Uppsala, Sweden cg.pettersson@vpe.slu.se |
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Abstract: | Abstract To compare the relative efficiency of different fertilisation strategies, malting barley was fertilised with calcium ammonium nitrate (CAN) or compound ammonium nitrate with phosphorus (NP) applied in two ways: broadcast and harrowed into the seedbed before seeding or banded using the Scandinavian combi-drill design, with the fertiliser between every second seed row, and 40 mm below. A fixed nitrogen level (120 kg N ha?1) was used, giving four fertiliser treatments. Eleven experiments were carried out the years 1992–1994, with latitudes 55° 55′ N as southern and 59° 36′ N as northern limit. Fertiliser-use efficiency, defined as grain yield, or grain nitrogen yield, per unit of applied N, was strongly affected by the treatments: values for combi-drilled were higher than for broadcast fertiliser and higher for NP than for CAN, with the effects being additive. The best treatment, using both banding and NP, resulted, as a mean of all trials, in a grain yield increase of 939 kg ha?1 at 15% moisture content, or a nitrogen yield increase of 18 kg nitrogen ha?1 compared with the poorest, using broadcast CAN. The N combi-drill effect was expected to be dependent on water availability, but this could not be confirmed when accumulated rainfall during crop establishment was used as test variable. The combi-drill effect was strongest in places where major extractable cations were abundant, possible explanations for this are discussed. Application of P to the crop and the use of combi-drill are recommended for malting barley fertilisation in Sweden. |
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Keywords: | Broadcast combi-drill deep drilling fertiliser-use efficiency mid-row banding precipitation soil cations |
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