Abstract
Grain growth and yield components of winter wheat cv. Lely were studied in a field experiment in 1976 with 4 rates of N (50, 100, 100 + 50 or 100 + 100 kg N/ha). Growing conditions were characterized by a high level of solar radiation, warmth, ample nutrient supply and no damage by diseases. N raised grain number/m2 from 16 700 to 20 600 and grain yield from 640 to 821 g dry wt./m2. Grain growth duration was short, due to warmth, but the rate of the grain filling was very high (from 24.0 to 29.2 g/m2 day during the effective grain-filling period). A high grain yield was associated with a high grain N content which resulted in a grain protein yield ranging from 63.8 to 107.1 g/m2 with increased N rate from 50 to 200 kg/ha. The carbohydrate demand of the grains was provided by current photosynthesis and relocation of stem reserves. The latter was reflected in a decline of the stem wt. after the mid-kernel filling stage. N and P demands of the grains were supplied by withdrawal from the vegetative organs (leaves, stem, chaff) and to a large extent by post-floral uptake and assimilation. Under the prevailing growing conditions the grains turned out to be very strong sinks for carbohydrate, N and P as shown by the harvest indices. Additional N dressings increased the harvest indices of DN, N and P from 0.40 to 0.48, from 0.75 to 0.81 and from 0.91 to 0.93 resp. It was suggested that a more restricted vegetative crop development at high N levels and a longer duration of root activity, photosynthesis and grain growth after anthesis would considerably favour grain yield. (Abstract retrieved from CAB Abstracts by CABI’s permission)
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