Effect of Mineral Fertilisers with Different Composition on Yield, Grain Size Parameters and Quality of Malting Barley

Abstract

Lietuvoje vystantis alaus pramonei, vis didėja salyklinių miežių poreikis. Jų užauginama daug, tačiau ne visi grūdai tinka salyklui, nes keliami gana dideli reikalavimai. Klimato sąlygos, auginimo technologija ir tręšimas, ligos, veislės genetinė prigimtis yra svarbiausi veiksniai, sąlygojantys grūdų derlių bei jų kokybės rodiklius. 2004–2006 m. LŽŪU Bandymų stotyje vykdyti tyrimai, kurių tikslas – ištirti vienanarių, kompleksinių ir lapų trąšų bei jų kompleksinio veikimo įtaką salyklinių miežių derliui, grūdų stambumui ir kokybei, esant skirtingoms metų meteorologinėms sąlygoms

Rising demand for malting barley in Lithuania is a result of beer industry development. Although the total volume of malting barley produce is large, only a part of produced grains is suitable for use in beer industry due to the rather strict grain quality requirements. Climatic conditions, crop production technology and fertilisation, diseases, genetic nature of variety used – these are the most important factors affecting the yield and quality of grains. 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 was complementarily 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. Grain size of malting barley depended mainly on climatic conditions during the grain formation and ripening, and not so much on mineral fertilisation. Simple as well as complex fertilisers both increased the grain yield and the fraction of large grains when a solid complex fertiliser Cropcare 13-0-13, containing nitrogen and potassium, was applied as complementary dressing in the tillering phase