Influence of Fertilizer Nitrogen and Sulfur on Production of Malting Barley

Studies in north-central Nebraska from 1975 through 1977: 1. Evaluated the malting barley production potential of the irrigated sandy soils of the region. 2. Measured the effect of application of N and S on yield and quality of barley grown for malting purposes. 3. Investigated the ability of N analysis of barley in the vegetative stage to predict protein content of grain at harvest. Data gathered lead to the following conclusions: 1. The potential for production of malting barley on irrigated sandy soils of north-central Nebraska is limited. 2. Yields increased with the application of fertilizer N throughout the study although response varied with site and variety. 3. Application of fertilizer S had no effect on yield throughout the study. 4. Application of N increased the protein content of all grain varieties studied by approximately 2 to 3 percent. 5. Analysis of plant material collected at the boot stage for N provided a reliable indication of the grain protein content.