Malting Barley Diseases, Yield and Quality – Responses to Using Various Agro-Technology Regimes

Pyrenophora teres (net blotch) and Cochliobolus sativus (spot blotch), the most widely spread diseases in the Northern Baltic region, have high impact on cereal production. The effect of three levels of fertilisation and two fungicide treatments on the severity of barley diseases, grain yield and quality traits (protein content, test weight, thousand kernel weight (TKW), grading) was tested during a period of three years. Weather conditions during the growing season highly determined disease severity, yield and quality. In addition, the infection level of P. teres was more dependent on fungicide treatment (p ≤ 0.001) and barley variety (p ≤ 0.001) while C. sativus infection was influenced more by fertilisation (p ≤ 0.001) and year x fertilisation interaction (p ≤ 0.001). Fungicide treatment had no influence on grain yield and protein content, but slightly improved TKW (p ≤ 0.05), test weight (p ≤ 0.001) and grading (p ≤ 0.001). However, these quality traits were mostly influenced by barley variety (p ≤ 0.001). TKW and test weight were highest at fertilisation level N₈₀P₁₂K₄₃. The effect of year and fertilisation contributed significantly to the grain protein content. Grain yield and protein content were highest at the maximum fertiliser application (N₁₀₀P₁₅K₅₄).