Nitrogen use efficiency of eleven triticale (x Triticosecale Wittmack) genotypes

A field experiment with eleven triticale genotypes was conducted to assess the grain yield, biomass yield, protein content, total nitrogen (N) uptake and various indexes (agronomic, physiological, agrophysiological, and apparent recovery efficiencies) of N use efficiency (NUE) using different levels of N fertilizer (0, 40, 80 and 160 kg N ha-1 ) over two years. According to the results of this research, the grain yield and biomass yield were the highest with the N rate of 80 kg N ha-1 . While grain protein content and the total N accumulation of triticale increased with the N application rates, the NUE indexes decreased with increasing N rates. The TVD25 line had the highest in grain yield (3765 kg ha-1 ), biomass yield (19418 kg ha-1 ), grain protein content (16.3%) and total N uptake (178.8 kg ha-1 ); the Mikham cultivar was the highest in agronomic efficiency (14.6 kg kg-1 ), agrophysiological efficiency (19.3 kg kg-1 ) and apparent recovery efficiency (70.4%) and the Samur sortu cultivar was the highest in physiological efficiency (63.4 kg kg-1 ) based on the two-year-means. The low NUE index values were calculated from triticale genotypes having the highest yield and N accumulation. As a result, to reduce N losses from soil and increase the NUE indexes, N efficient genotypes in this study should be selected in breeding programs.