The influence of foliar fertilizer NitroTOP NG on productivity and grain quality of winter barley variety Emon was studied. A field trial was conducted at the experimental field of the Agricultural University of Plovdiv, Bulgaria during the 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 growing season. The experimental design consisted of a randomized, complete block design and it included four variants of foliar fertilization (0, 10, 20 and 30 L.ha-1) in four replication. The size of individual trial plots was 18 m2. The fertilizer was applied in the barley tillering phase in early spring, and before the sowing in autumn, soil fertilization was carried out with 50 kg P2O5.ha-1 as a triple superphosphate. Barley was grown under non-irrigated conditions and its predecessor was sunflower. It was established that application of 10, 20 and 30 L.ha-1 of NitroTOP NG foliar fertilizer proven increased the grain and grain+straw yields of malting barley, compared to the unfertilized control. A rate of 30 L.ha-1 was highly effective under drought conditions in 2024 and the obtained grain and grain+straw yields exceeded the control by 26.8% and 16.0%, respectively. In 2025, the highest productivity (5378 kg grain and 12140 kg grain+straw.ha-1) was established in treatment of 20 L.ha-1. Foliar nitrogen application slightly affected the test weight of barley grain. Fertilizer rates of 20 and 30 L.ha-1 had a positive effect on the mass of 1000 grains in 2025. The concentration of grain protein in both experimental years met the conditions for brewing qualities, with its content averaging 9.9% in 2024 and 11.1% in 2025. Only the rate of 30 L.ha-1 of foliar fertilizer NitroTOP NG proven increased a grain protein concentration compared to the N0 variant during the study period.

foliar nitrogen, barley productivity and quality

agronomy

Presentation: poster