Formation of yield and grain quality of different varieties of spring barley under the influence of mineral fertilizer rates

Abstract

The influence of different spring barley varieties and mineral fertilizer rates on grain productivity and quality indices was studied. Three barley varieties were studied: Gonar, Elf and Vakula against two mineral nutrition backgrounds: N₃₀P₃₀K₃₀ and N₆₀P₆₀K₆₀. A significant increase of barley plant height was found depending on fertilizer application. At a rate of N₃₀P₃₀K₃₀, plant height increased from 4.6 to 6.0 cm, while increasing the rate to N₆₀P₆₀K₆₀ increased the plant height from 8.2 to 10.6 cm depending on the variety. The Gonar and Vakula varieties showed the greatest response to high levels of mineral nutrition (N₆₀P₆₀K₆₀) in terms of yield formula. Modern barley varieties Gonar, Elf and Vakula possess high ecological plasticity and adaptability. The maximum yield gain was achieved with the application of fertilizer at a rate of N₆₀P₆₀K₆₀. Additional grain yield compared to the control (without any fertilizer) amounted to 0.90-1.05 t ha (22.6-31.8%). The Gonar (+0.94 t ha) and Elf (+0.89 t ha) varieties showed the greatest yield gain, while the Vakula variety was less responsive (+0.45 t ha). The significant influence of natural conditions on biochemical processes in barley plants was identified. Favorable weather conditions as a warm and dry summer (2024) contributed to increased grain protein content but decreased grain-unit; while cool and humid conditions (2025) resulted in decreased protein content and increased grain-unit. The Vakula variety showed the highest grain protein content (12.30-13.73%), but low natural weight (599 g L) and smaller grain size (thousand-kernel weight of 46.61 g). Under the conditions of the Lipetsk Region, this variety is more suitable for growing for forage. The Gonar and Elf varieties had low grain protein levels (11.25-11.28%), high grain-unit (654 g L), high germinating energy (96%), and large grain size with thousand-kernel weight of 48.39-47.15 g. They are more suitable for brewing industry.