Effects of nitrogen on yield, quality and nutritive absorption of middle and strong gluten wheat

A field experiment was conducted in Funan experiment base, located in the north part of Huaihe River, Anhui Province, to put forward a suitable fertilizer application method for specific wheat varieties in 2002-2003. Wanmai38 (strong gluten) and Wanmai44 (middle gluten) were used as experimental materials. With a basic fertilization rate of 90kg/hm2 P2O5 and 112.5kg/ hm2 K2O, there are five levels of N rates in this experiment being 0, 75, 150, 225, 300kg/hm2, respectively. Effects of different nitrogen application rates on grain yield, quality and nutritive absorption of different wheat varieties were studied. The correlation between N, P and K content in plants and quality properties was analyzed. The results showed that N fertilizer rate assumed quadric curved lines relations with grain yield, protein yield of two varieties ranging from 0 to 300 kg/ hm2 of N application, respectively. Increasing nitrogen application rates not only enhances the protein content, wet gluten content and sedimentation value significantly, reduced the softening degree, and prolonged the development time and stability time of paste, but also improved P and K nutrition in plants. There was a significant positive correlation between N content in plants and main quality characters excluding degree of softening and water absorption; while the correlation between N content and test weight was negative. Maintaining higher N, P and K content in plants in middle and late growth stage might promote wheat quality markedly. The maximum grain yield and protein output achieved when the N application rate for Wanmai 38 and Wanmai 44 was 224.6 and 207.5 kg/hm2 as well as 288.5 and 221.0 kg/hm2, respectively. To increase yield and improve quality, the suitable N rate for middle glutenand strong gluten was 225kg/hm2 in middle fertility land in Huaibei Region.