Nitrogen fertilization rates to maximize winter malting barley yield while meeting protein requirements in Ohio

Abstract

Due to the craft beer industry, there is an emerging need for winter malting barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) nitrogen (N) rate recommendations in Ohio. An experiment was conducted at seven site-years to identify the optimum spring N application rate to maximize barley grain yield while maintaining protein requirements for malting. Yield increased quadratically with increasing N application rate, while grain protein increased linearly. Across site-years, yield was maximized with a spring N rate of 113 kg N ha⁻¹. Applications >67 kg N ha⁻¹ resulted in grain protein that exceeded the grain protein requirements; however, there was variability among site-years. At low-yielding site-years (<3000 kg ha⁻¹), protein exceeded the requirement with 0–22 kg N ha⁻¹. In high-yielding site-years (approximately 7000 kg ha⁻¹), over 110 kg N ha⁻¹ could be applied.