Can Leaf Chlorophyll Measures at Differing Growth Stages be used as an Indicator of Winter Wheat and Spring Barley Nitrogen Requirements in Eastern Canada? |
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Authors: | D Spaner A G Todd A Navabi D B McKenzie L A Goonewardene |
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Institution: | Authors' addresses: Dr D. Spaner (corresponding author;e-mail: ) and Dr A. Navabi, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Nutritional Science, 4-10 Agriculture/Forestry Centre, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada T6G 2P5;Mr A. G. Todd and Dr D. B. McKenzie, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, PO Box 39088 St John's, NF, Canada A1E 5Y7;Dr L. A. Goonewardene, Livestock Development Division, Alberta Agriculture Food and Rural Development, No. 204-7000-113 Street, Edmonton, AB, Canada T6H 5T6 |
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Abstract: | 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. |
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Keywords: | Hordeum vulgare seeding rate SPAD-502 chlorophyll meter topdress nitrogen fertilizer Triticum aestivum |
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