EFFECTS OF FERTILIZATION AND DISEASE CONTROL ON YIELD THE QUALITY OF MALT BARLEY GRAIN

Edward Wróbel, Wojciech Budzyński

Varmia-Masurian University in Olsztyn, Faculty of Agriculture and Environmental Management

Summary

In the strict field experiment established on the soil classified to very good rye complex the yielding ability of malt barley fertilized with nitrogen in the following rates of: 0; 20; 40; 60 kg N ha-1 on the background of variable disease control methods: without fungicide; early application of carbendazyme and the late application of propiconazole. The yield bearing effect of nitrogen was significant to the rate of 60 kg N ha-1. Propiconazole had better effects on yield compared to carbendazyme.

Barley grain irrespectively of the nitrogen rate and method of disease control was within the limits of standard.

Introduction

Quality demands of malt barley are very high. Quality parameters are determined in the highest extent by weather conditions and especially total precipitation and its pattern during growth period [4,5]. Among agronomical factors nitrogen fertilization plays crucial role [2,5,6].

The aim of our studies was to determine the response of malt barley cv. Maresi to nitrogen fertilization and method of disease control and the effects of above mentioned factors on technological value of grain.

Materials and methods

Strict field experiment was performed in the Experimental Station in Bałcyny near Ostróda (north-eastern Poland) in growing seasons 1996-97 using split plot design. Soil was classified to the very good rye complex and showed high availability of K2O, P2O5 and MgO of pH of 6.4 (KCl). Area of plot was 15 m2. The first experimental factor was nitrogen, applied at the following rates of: 20, 40 and 60 kg N/ha and control (without nitrogen fertilization). The second factor was the method of disease control: control (no fungicide), early application of fungicide carbendazyme (30 Zadokss) and late application of fungicide propiconazole (48 Zadokss).

Barley cv. Maresi was sown at the earliest sowing date at the rate of 360 germinating grains per 1 m2. Forecrop was medium late potato. Potassium and phosphorus were applied in the spring at the rate of 60 and 160 kg K2O and P2O5, respectively. Nitrogen (as ammonium nitrate) was applied in one rate just before sowing. Weed control was performed by mechanical and chemical (herbicide mixture fluoroglicophene + methyl trybenurone) methods. Nitrogen content was determined according to Kiejdahl and protein was calculated using coefficient 6.25. Other quality characters (grain uniformity and germination energy) of grains were determined according to Polish standard - BN-69/9131-03. Evaluation of malt was performed in pilot scale malt-house according to Polish standard PN-67/A-79083 [4]. Evaluation of grain and malt was performed only in the first year of studies.

Results and discussion

The weather course in the years of studies was very favourable for barley production (mean yield amounted to 68.1 and 65.5 dt per ha in 1996 and 1997, respectively).

On soil classified to very good rye complex after good forecrop (potato) malt barley cv. Maresi growing without nitrogen supply gave relatively high grain yield (53.9 dt per ha). Despite this significant effect of nitrogen was found to the rate of 60 kg N per ha (Table 1). Similar results were obtained in our earlier studies [6]. The highest yield increase per 1 kg of applied nitrogen was found for the rates in the interval 20-40 kg N per ha and it was equal to 22.5 kg of grain. In the interval 40-60 kg N per ha this parameter showed also high value ca. 20 kg.

The better effects of late disease control with propiconazole were found comparing to early application of carbendazyme. An average yield increase in relation to unprotected control was 2.6 dt per ha (significant difference). More intense infestation by fungal diseases was found in the first year of the study and main pathogens appeared to be Erysiphe graminis and Rhynchosporium secalis. In the second year occurrence of Erysiphe graminis was not found and infestation by Helminthosporium teres and Rhynchosporium secalis was negligible.

Table 2. Selected indices of malt barley grains

Nitrogen fertilization significantly affected protein content only in grains but no influence on germination energy and grains uniformity was observed. As nitrogen rate increased higher protein content in grain was found by 0.5 and 0.6% in intervals of 20-40 and 40-60 kg N per ha, respectively. Difference of protein content in grain of control treatment and fertilized with the highest N rate reached to 1.3% (Tab. 2).

Table 3. Some indices of malt quality

Quality of malt is determined at the high extent by weather conditions and among them by the amount and pattern of precipitation during growth period of barley what was reported previously [2,5]. In 1996 there was moderate amount of precipitation in stages between tillering and the ear emergence what favourably affected quality of grain. Modification of the following quality indices were not noted: extract yield, Kolbach index, diastatic power, viscosity and apparent final attenuation. Also fungicides did not affect mentioned above indices in the conditions of applying of the rates in wide range of rates i.e. 0-60 kg N per ha (Table 3). According to Polish standards of quality of malt the highest rank ”E” (very good) was estimated for malt from treatment 20 kg N per ha whereas the rest samples were estimated as ”A” (good ) (Table 4).

Table 4 Malting quality of spring barley in relation to applied N rate

*E -very good A -good

Conclusions

1. Significant effects of nitrogen up to the rate of 60 kg N per ha on barley yield increase was found.

2. Effects of fungicide propiconazole applied at the end of the stage of stalk emergence on yield increase was better comparing to fungicide carbendazyme applied at the beginning of the same stage of plant development.

3. Barley grain irrespectively of the rate of supplied nitrogen and the method of disease control was within the standard of malt barley.

4. Technological indices (extract yield, Kolbachs index, diastatic power, viscosity and apparent final attenuation) showed high values and amounted to 7-9 in 9 degree scale.

References

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