Relation of ear survival to the nitrogen content of certain varieties of barley: With a statistical study

Abstract

1. The high grain-yielding capacity and low total nitrogen content of predominant British varieties of barley, in conjunction with high ear survival at harvest, are discussed.2. The results of a series of quantitative comparisons in which increased tillering was promoted by the application of nitrate of soda at various phases of plant development, and similarly when tillers were removed at various stages, were examined.3. It was shown that the effect of nitrogen on the yield and quality of the grain depends upon the time in relation to the stage of plant development at which it was applied; the early applications enhanced the yield without detriment to the quality of the grain, whilst the later applications did not increase the yield but increased the total nitrogen content, and consequently reduced the malting quality of the grain.4. The increase in yield was obtained primarily by an increase in the number of surviving tillers and to a less extent by an increase in yield of grain per ear; the latter was in some cases accompanied by an increase in 1000-grain weight. High ear survival in varieties such as those under examination may consequently be regarded as an index of high yield of grain and of low total nitrogen content.5. The removal of tillers resulted in increased total nitrogen content and increased 1000-grain weight in the grain of the main stem; the former was not affected by the stage of development of the plant at which abscission was made, but the highest value of the latter was obtained when the abscission was made before flowering.6. The relation of 1000-grain weight and nitrogen content was discussed, and it was shown that high 1000-grain weight may exist with both high and low total nitrogen. Although the 1000-grain weight is an hereditary attribute it is subject to considerable fluctuation and cannot by itself be usefully employed as an index of nitrogen content, and consequently of malting quality, in either an inter- or intra-varietal sense.