Amino acid content and composition of winter wheat affected by Nitrogen Fertilization

Abstract

The protein quality of wheat is closely correlated with its amino composition. Consequently, when conducting a N fertilization experiment, it is important to know how the ratio of essential amino acids determining the nutritional quality, especially that of the most important limiting amino acids of wheat within the increased protein content, works out. The effect of nitrogen fertilizer applied at different times and/or doses (0–200 kg/ha) was investigated on grain protein and amino acid contents and yields of a Hungarian bread wheat variety on a soil type of medium ? status (eutric cambisol) in Western Hungary for three years. 160 kg N/ha was necessary to reach the highest possible crude protein content and the split application of this dose proved to be the most beneficial to the crude protein yield on the three years’ average. Though most of the treatments seemed to be disadvantageous from the point of view of amino acid composition considering the nutritional quality, the amount of essential amino acids, especially that of lysine harvested per hectare showed a considerable increase (up to 28.4%).