A good understanding of soil mineral N is important for balancing malting barley yield and grain protein. This was shown in a 2012-13 trial commissioned by FAR and run by Plant & Food Research in the Rangitikei district, which studied nitrogen application rates on spring-sown malting barley cv. ‘Fairview’. In this study, treatments of 90+ kg/ha applied nitrogen resulted in grain protein levels that were too high for malting. This was due to the plants taking up additional soil N.
For more information see: N use on malting barley crops