Yield Formation and Plant Metabolism of Spring Barley in Response to Locally Injected Ammonium

Abstract

This study was conducted to elucidate the crop physiological basis for yield differences frequently observed in experiments comparing top-dressing of N fertilizers with injection of ammonium or ammonium/urea solutions into the soil. The effects of diammonium phosphate injected at the two-leaf stage, calcium nitrate (NO 3 -N) broadcasted and incorporated before sowing, and a control without N fertilization (-N) were assessed from measurements of growth, N-uptake and N-partitioning, light interception, gas exchange, leaf anatomy and the activity of key enzymes of N-metabolism. The experiment was performed with spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) grown in 80-l containers in a vegetation hall in Braunschweig, Germany. The plants in the NH 4 -N treatment produced a 20 % higher grain yield than those in the NO 3 -N treatment. The grain yield superiority of the NH 4 -N plants was attributable to a higher number of ears per plant (+13 %) and more grains per ear (+6 %). The NH 4 -N plants exhibited lower concentrations of inorganic cations than plants supplied with NO 3 -N. In the NH 4 -N treatment, the light penetrated more deeply into the crop canopy and the NH 4 -N plants exhibited a higher leaf carbon exchange rate at the different leaf layers than the NO 3 -N plants. It is concluded that as opposed to predominantly nitrate nutrition, provision of a persistent source of ammonium enables plants to take advantage of the positive yield effect of mixed N nutrition.

Influence of nitrogen fertilizer injection (CULTAN) on yield, yield components formation and quality of winter wheat grain

“…To increase grain yield, it is more advantageous if dry matter is increased in the postfloral stage (after earing) (Petr et al 1988). As stated by Schittenhelm and Menge-Hartmann (2006) the results proved that the cereals fertilized using injection of ammonium solutions with urea have more upright leaves, leaf blades are shorter and the colour of leaves is greener, while the stalk is shorter and firmer than at plants fertilized on soil surface. These phenological changes can positively influence grain yield due to higher absorption of light, photosynthesis and harvest index.…”

Biogas production and changes in soil carbon input - A regional analysis

“…and L2 led to fewer plants per m² than corresponding solid and complete variants. The reason for this could be a higher NH4-N concentration, which can reflect a potential phytotoxicity of organic products during germination (Alburquerque et al, 2012b;Schittenhelm and Menge-Hartmann, 2006;Teglia et al, 2011). L3+P gave rise to fewer plants per m² than L3 and L3+WS.…”

The contents of amino acids and sterols in maize plants growing under different nitrogen conditions

“…transformation of ammonium to nitrate greatly enhances n mobility and thus increases the risk of n being lost through leaching from soil-plant system. to avoid this negative effect different techniques are used by farmers (Schittenhelm and Menge-Hartmann 2006). in Germany, CUltan system (Controlled Uptake long term ammonium nutrition) is used (Sommer et al 2002, Weber et al 2008).…”