Pattern of nitrogen distribution in barley grains grown in the field

Single grain analysis showed that barley grains synthesized different levels of total nitrogen during development in a commercial field of barley. The difference in total nitrogen content of the individual barley grains was influenced by the topography of the field in which the barley was grown. Barley samples obtained from the higher ground and the peripheries of the field had incorporated lower levels of total nitrogen in the grain. In contrast, barley grains harvested from valley areas in the middle of the field incorporated a higher level of total nitrogen.