Changes in technological properties of common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grain as influenced by amino acid fertilizers

Abstract

Experiments with the winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) variety ‘Širvinta 1’ were conducted at the Experimental Station of the Lithuanian University of Agriculture (currently – Aleksandras Stulginskis University) during the period 2006–2009 in limnoglacional silty loam on morainne clay loam Cal(ca)ri-Endohypogleyic Luvisol (LVgn- w-cc). The crops were grown on the background of N150P90K90 mineral fertilization and were additionally foliarfertilized with amide nitrogen fertilizer, containing different concentrations (0.5–3.0%) of amino acids, at heading stage BBCH 51–56. Experimental evidence showed that winter wheat grain yield increased by 0.13–0.37 Mg ha-1 under the effect of amino acids. The amino acid fertilizers improved technological properties of grain. Having fertilized with 0.5–2.0% amino acid solutions, the protein content increased by 0.62–0.81 percentage points; having fertilized with 0.5–3.0% solutions the sedimentation values increased by 3–4 ml; and having fertilized with 0.5–1.0% amino acid solutions the wet gluten content increased by 1.1–1.7 percentage points. An increase in the falling number by 22 s occurred having fertilized with 1.0% amino acid solution. The study showed a statistically significant dependence of winter wheat grain yield (η = 0.93*), protein content (η = 0.70*) and sedimentation values (η = 0.98*) on the concentration of amino acids in liquid amide nitrogen fertilizers.