Effect of mineral fertilisers with different composition on yield, grain size parameters and quality of malting barley

Abstract

Complementary fertilisation with the leaf-feed fertilisers Delfan and Aton AZ, and Fainal K resulted in an increased content of fat in grains. The content of fibre and ash in malting barley grains was more dependent on the annual climatic conditions than on the different combinations of fertilisers. The experiments were conducted in Experimental Station of Lithuanian University of Agriculture in 2004–2006. The soil of the experimental site was medium textured loamy carbonaceous leached soil – IDg8-k (Calcari-Epihypogleyic Luvisols (LVg-p-w-cc). The aim of this research was to investigate the effect of single and combined application of simple, complex and leaf-feed fertilisers on yield, grain size and quality of malting barley under different annual climatic conditions. According to the results obtained, the most significant grain yield increase (0,35 t ha-1) of malting barley was obtained when the crop were complementary fertilized with complex fertilizer Cropcare 13-0-13 on the background of complex fertilizers in combination with leaf feed fertilizers Delfan/Aton AZ – at the end of tillering phase and Fainal K – at the beginning of flowering phase. The grain size depended mainly on climatic conditions during the grain formation and ripening, and not so much on mineral fertilization. The grains of malting barley plants fertilised either with simple or complex fertilisers and complementary – with leaf-feed fertilisers did not exceed the protein content limit, set for malting barley. Different combinations of fertilisers had no significant effect on protein content in grains; a square dependence of grain richness in proteins on hydrothermal coefficient during the grain formation and ripening was determined. The content of non-nitrogen extractable matter (NEM) in spring barley grains depended on protein, fat, fibre and ash content in the grains and was inversely proportional to the grain richness in proteins. Different combinations of mineral fertilisers had no significant effect on NEM content in grains.