Nitrogen (N) uptake and utilization efficiency (N,,,) of the high-yiel
ding cultivars 'Gemini' of wheat and 'Jaidor' of barley were tested wi
th N rates of 0, 140 and 210 kg ha(-1) and 0, 80 and 140 kg ha(-1), re
spectively. The different grain yield response was linked to their dif
ference in nitrogen uptake and utilization efficiency. The highest yie
ld in barley was recorded with 80 kg N ha(-1) and in wheat with 210 kg
N ha(-1). Nitrogen application affected the accumulation of biomass u
p to heading in wheat and barley. While N uptake during grain filling
did not show any correlation to N applied in barley, it was markedly c
orrelated in wheat. At N-0 and N-140 N applied, barley exhibited a 32
and 8% higher N-Ute than wheat. N agronomic efficiency, a parameter re
presenting the ability of the plant to increase yield in response to N
applied, was similar in barley and wheat (8.7 and 9.2 kg kg(-1) of N
applied, respectively), suggesting that both species respond equally t
o nitrogen fertilization. Nevertheless, due to its lower N-Ute, wheat
requires high N fertilization to optimize yields; by contrast, in barl
ey the lower N rate needed to achieve highest yields enables this crop
to perform better in low-input conditions. As a results, the reduced
N requirements for barley highest yield associated with a better R-F v
alue (apparent N fertilizer recovery of 63% in barley and 49% in wheat
at N-140) makes barley crop a better choice to reduce ground-water po
llution due to nitrate leaching in winter and early spring. (C) 1998 E
lsevier Science B.V.