Breeding Effects on Nitrogen Use Efficiency of Spring Cereals under Northern Conditions

Abstract

Spring cultivars of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), oat (Avena sativa L.), and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) are the most important crops in Finnish agricultural systems. The increasing need to reduce pollution from N fertilizer is concomitantly strengthening the importance of improving the understanding of nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) of these crops. The aim of this work was to study the differences in NUE, defined as the crop's ability to produce yield with one available N unit, among spring cereal cultivars, and to determine the achievements of plant breeding in NUE under northern European growing conditions. Field experiments were conducted in Finland during 2003 and 2004. Samples from matured plants of 17 to 18 cultivars of each of the three cereal species released between 1909 and 2002 were studied. There were no clear differences in NUE among modern spring cultivars. However, there were cultivar differences within species and significant NUE improvements on wheat and particularly for oat across time. There was no clear trend of NUE and year of release of cultivars in two‐row spring barley, probably because breeding for malting barley involves consistent selection for low‐protein cultivars. The study revealed that most breeding effects on NUE were associated with changes in nitrogen uptake efficiency (UPE).

Wheat Growing and Quality in Organic Farming

“…A wide range of studies has been carried out in the last few years; their common purpose has been to determine the changes in efficiency of varieties during the breeding process, and changes in the efficiency of the exploitation of nutrients. Muurinen et al (2006) studied the efficiency of the exploitation of nitrogen in wheat, oat and barley, bred in Finland between 1909 and 2002. Modern varieties of wheat and oat were more efficient, they absorbed more nitrogen and were able to use it more efficiently than the older ones.…”

Inheritance of the efficiency of nitrogen uptake and utilization in winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) under diverse nutrition levels

“…Hence, increased interest is being shown worldwide in cultivars that are more efficient in utilizing soil resources and better fitted to water and nutrient limitations (El Bassam 1998;Good et al 2004;Fageria and Baligar 2005;Phillips and Wolfe 2005;Muurinen et al 2006;Hirel et al 2007; Lammerts van Sylvester-Bradley and Kindred 2009). Among cereals, hexaploid winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is commonly identified as a species with higher requirements for nutrients, especially nitrogen.…”

Nitrogen and Phosphorus Fertilizers and Tillage Effects on Growth and Yield of Maize (Zea mays L.) at Dugda District in the Central Rift Valley of Ethiopia

“…Thus the result of the current correlation analysis of fertilizer level with higher biomass yield and harvest index could result in higher grain yield of maize. In other similar studies, different authors also reported positive correlations among certain growth and yield parameters of maize (Loffer et al, 1985;Van Sanford and MacKown, 1986;Sinebo et al, 2004;Muurinen, 2007).…”