Malting Barley Quality Parameters: Effect of Fertilization and Fungicide Application in the Argentine Pampas

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of nitrogen fertilization and fungicide application on yield, grain protein concentration and kernel plumpness on malting barley. Eleven experiments were replicated in Buenos Aires province, Argentina, during years 2012 and 2013. Treatments were: 1. Control; 2. 80 kg N ha-1 applied at tillering; 3. treatment 2 plus a foliar application of 20 kg N ha-1 at Z38; 4. treatment 3 plus a foliar application of fungicide at Z38; and 5.treatment 4 plus a foliar application of fungicide at second detectable node. Nitrogen applied at tillering increased yields at the sites where soil N availability was below 100 kg N ha-1, increased grain protein and decreased kernel plumpness on sites where kernel plumpness in the control plots was <75%. An extra foliar N fertilization did not affect yield or kernel plumpness, but increased grain protein concentration significantly 0.82 percentage points in 45% of the studied site-years. Fungicide application at Z38 increased yield and kernel plumpness in 2012, when high moisture conditions promoted fungal diseases. An extra fungicide application at second node stage had no consistent effect on the studied variables.