Genetic variation for dry matter and nitrogen accumulation and translocation in two-rowed spring barley II. Nitrogen translocation

An understanding of the partition between pre-anthesis and post-anthesis N uptake and their contribution to total grain N and protein content in spring two-rowed barley (Hordeum vulgare spp. distichum L.) is important to achieve additional breeding progress for both fodder and malting barley. N translocation from the vegetative tissues at anthesis to the kernel, N translocation efficiency, and N harvest index (NHI) were studied in field experiments during 4 years (1995–1998). Plants were harvested at anthesis and maturity and divided into leaf+culm, chaff and grain. Significant cultivar differences in N translocation, N translocation efficiency and NHI were determined. Across cultivars, the highest N translocation was in a favorable year (93 kg ha⁻¹) and the lowest in a year with poor growing conditions (40 kg ha⁻¹). Cultivar differences in N translocation were related to dry matter and pre-anthesis N accumulation (R²>0.70). N translocation efficiency varied more among the cultivars (0.27–0.66) than years (0.47–0.52). Post-anthesis N uptake was negatively correlated (P<0.01) with N translocation. NHI ranged among the cultivars from 0.49 to 0.73 and among the years from 0.57 to 0.74. The cultivars Arapiles, Schooner, Cantala, Kaskade and Pek stored in the grain more than 70% and Hiproly less than 50% of above-ground N at maturity. Translocated N participated with 85, 56, 42, and 61% in grain N in 1995, 1996, 1997, and 1998, respectively. The ratio of translocated N to grain N could be an indicator of growing conditions; a higher ratio indicates good growing conditions over the entire growth period, a lower ratio indicates poor conditions during pre-anthesis, and a medium ratio indicates some temperature and water deviations from the long-term average. Straw N concentration was in significant positive (P<0.01) correlation with N translocation and translocation efficiency. Straw N concentration adequately represents N efficiency utilization for synthesis of grain protein, and because it saves time and money compared to N harvest index determination, it can be used for the testing of breeding materials for the development of new barley cultivars.