101(4)_str47

ISSN 1392-3196 / e-ISSN 2335-8947
Zemdirbyste-Agriculture, vol. 101, No. 4 (2014), p. 373–380
DOI  10.13080/z-a.2014.101.047

Spring barley as affected by nitrogen and sulphur fertiliser rates calculated using different diagnostic methods

Gediminas STAUGAITIS, Zita BRAZIENĖ, Antanas MARCINKEVIČIUS, Romas MAŽEIKA, Šarūnas ANTANAITIS, Rūta STAUGAITIENĖ

Abstract

Assessing the response of spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) to the nitrogen and sulphur fertiliser rates calculated using different diagnostic methods was the main aim of the experiment conducted at the Rumokai Experimental Station of the Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry in 2010–2012. The experiment was carried out on a Bathihypogleyi-Calc(ar)ic Luvisol (LVk-gld-w) with a predominant soil texture of silt loam on heavy clay. The mineral sulphur content determined in 0–60 cm soil layer in spring was very low in 2010 and 2012 and medium in 2011; the treatment of spring barley crop with S15-20 rates the grain yield increased by 5.1–23%, straw yield – by 8.3–19.4%. Mineral nitrogen levels in 0–60 cm soil layer were high and very high (102–173 kg ha-1) at the end of spring barley tillering stage (BBCH 28); at the same time the content of total nitrogen in barley leaves was optimal. Due to this, the adjustment of supplementary fertilisation (increasing/decreasing of the nitrogen rate by 20–60 kg ha-1) had no significant effect on the crop yield, productivity components and starch and crude protein content in grains. Foliar fertilisation of spring barley increased the grain yield statistically significantly only in 2010 when mineral sulphur and mineral nitrogen content in 0–60 cm soil layer at the spring barley tillering stage (BBCH 28) was significantly lower (8.5 and 123 kg ha-1, respectively) in comparison to the other experimental years. The yield increase was 41.8% when ammonium sulphate had been applied and 12.1% when urea had been applied.

Key words: foliar testing, Hordeum vulgare, nitrogen and sulphur fertilisers, soil testing.

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