Unlocking Nitrogen Use Efficiency in Tritordeum: A Holistic Evaluation of Enhanced-Efficiency Fertilisers Under Mediterranean Conditions

George Papadopoulos (), Ioannis Zafeiriou, Evgenia Georgiou, Sotirios Papanikolaou, Antonios Mavroeidis, Panteleimon Stavropoulos, Ioannis Roussis, Ioanna Kakabouki and Dimitrios Bilalis
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George Papadopoulos: Laboratory of Agronomy, Department of Crop Science, Agricultural University of Athens, 11855 Athens, Greece
Ioannis Zafeiriou: Laboratory of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Agricultural University of Athens, 11855 Athens, Greece
Evgenia Georgiou: Laboratory of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Agricultural University of Athens, 11855 Athens, Greece
Sotirios Papanikolaou: Laboratory of Agricultural Engineering, Department of Natural Resources Management & Agricultural Engineering, School of Environment and Agricultural Engineering, Agricultural University of Athens, 11855 Athens, Greece
Antonios Mavroeidis: Laboratory of Agronomy, Department of Crop Science, Agricultural University of Athens, 11855 Athens, Greece
Panteleimon Stavropoulos: Laboratory of Agronomy, Department of Crop Science, Agricultural University of Athens, 11855 Athens, Greece
Ioannis Roussis: Laboratory of Agronomy, Department of Crop Science, Agricultural University of Athens, 11855 Athens, Greece
Ioanna Kakabouki: Laboratory of Agronomy, Department of Crop Science, Agricultural University of Athens, 11855 Athens, Greece
Dimitrios Bilalis: Laboratory of Agronomy, Department of Crop Science, Agricultural University of Athens, 11855 Athens, Greece

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 11, 1-21

Abstract: Improving nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) is critical to advancing sustainable cereal production, particularly under Mediterranean conditions where environmental pressures challenge input-intensive practises. This study evaluates NUE in Tritordeum, a climate-resilient wheat–barley hybrid, using a holistic experimental approach that integrates pre- and post-harvest soil analyses, including an electrical conductivity (EC) assessment, plant and seed nutrient profiling, and an evaluation of yield performance and nitrogen ratio dynamics. Four treatments were tested: conventional urea (T1), urea with an urease inhibitor (NBPT) (T2), urea with a nitrification inhibitor (DCD) (T3), and an unfertilised control (C). While conventional urea achieved the highest yield (1366 kg ha −1 ), enhanced-efficiency fertilisers (EEFs) improved nutrient synchronisation and seed nutritional quality. Specifically, EEFs increased seed zinc (T2: 34.93 mg/kg), iron (T1: 33.77 mg/kg), and plant potassium (T2: 1.66%; T3: 1.61%) content, and also improved nitrogen remobilisation (elevated Nplant/Nseed ratios). EEFs also influenced soil properties, increasing organic matter (T3: 2.75%) and EC (T3: 290.78 μS/cm). These findings suggest that while EEFs may not always boost yield in the short term, they contribute to long-term soil fertility and nutrient density in grain. This study underscores the importance of synchronising nitrogen availability with Tritordeum’s phenological stages and highlights the crop’s suitability for sustainable, low-input agriculture under climate variability.

Keywords: nitrogen use efficiency (NUE); enhanced-efficiency fertilisers (EEFs); urease inhibitor (NBPT); nitrification inhibitor (DCD); Tritordeum; Mediterranean agriculture; sustainable fertilisation; nutrient remobilisation; soil fertility; climate-resilient crops (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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