On modeling and analyzing barley malt data in different years

Abstract

Summary The main purpose of this study was the model fitting of data deriving from a three-year experiment with barley malt. Two linear models were considered: a fixed linear model with fixed effects of years and other factors, and a mixed linear model with random effects of years and fixed effects of other factors. Two cultivars of brewing barley, Sebastian and Mauritia, six methods of nitrogen fertilization and four germination times were analyzed. Three quantitative traits were observed: practical extractivity of the malt, malting productivity, and a quality coefficient Q. The starting point for the statistical analyses was the available experimental material, which consisted of barley grain samples destined for malting. The analyses were performed over a series of years with respect to fixed or random effects of years. Due to the strong differentiation of the years of the study and some significant interactions of factors with years, annual analyses were also carried out.