Influence of nitrogen fertilizer levels on growth and quality of barley (Hordeum vulgare) varieties

Abstract

Nitrogen is the most important essential nutrient that comes under macronutrient category as it plays vital role in various physiological processes in plant as it produce rapid early growth, improve fruit quality, protein content in fodder crops, vegetative growth in plants, leaves, stem growth and imparts dark green color to plants. When different level of nitrogen applied in Barley(Hordeum vulgare L.) at different sowing dates, it resulted in increased rate of growth parameters like plant height, number of tillers per hill, CGR(Crop Growth Rate), RGR(Relative Growth Rate), plant dry weight and yield attributes like grain yield, straw yield, number of effective tillers. When nitrogen is given to barley at different concentration (60, 75, 90 kg per ha) maximum nitrogen content in grain and straw yield was found with the application of 90 kg per ha and protein content in grain and grain yield was found to be increased with increased level of nitrogen in Barley in sodic soils. When different levels of nitrogen (i.e. 0, 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100 kg per ha) in different varieties of Barley was applied, it affect yield attributes like grain weight, grain spike, straw yield, grain yield, biological yield, plant and grain nitrogen differently like maximum grain spike, grain and grain yield was recorded in sterling varieties while highest biological yield, straw yield, grain and plant nitrogen was observed in local varieties and nitrogen applied at rate of 60 kg per ha resulted in maximum grain spike, grain weight, biological yield, grain yield and grain and plant N. nitrogen applied at once showed minimum days to emergence of crop and maximum plant height while when applied in three split doses it results good yield with maximum emergence m-2, fresh and dry biomass, tillers and leaves plant-1, tillers and spike m-2, grain spike, grain weight and minimum days to spike and maturity in dual purpose Barley. Regarding nitrogen fertilizer application at rates 0, 30, 60, 90, 120and 150kg ha-1 yield was increase upto 90 kg ha-1 later on it remains steady. Nitrogen accumulation in crops, green fodder yield, vegetative growth of plants is found to be increased upto a certain level of nitrogen applied beyond that limit some parameters are going to stay steady and some going to decline. Along with different nitrogen levels, number of cuttings and timing of cutting also affects parameters as late cutting have positive impact on enhancement of yield of green fodder and lack of cutting enhanced grain yield and most of yield components and high level of nitrogen led to increase in green fodder and grain yield.