Nitrogen Management for Malting Barley

Malting barley is a specialized agricultural crop in which high yields and quality are production objectives. We evaluated the effects of different N rates on barley yields and selected malting quality parameters grown on irrigated silt loam soils (Xerollic calciorthids). Maximum barley yields having acceptable malting quality parameters were obtained when the preplant soil NO?-N plus fertilizer N was between 100 to 120 kg N/ha. About 33 kg N/ha was taken up by the plants from the mineralization of soil organic N. Higher available N levels decreased malting quality parameters below acceptable levels. Germination percentage was not changed by the different N rates