Nitrogen deficiency is one of the most important reasons for reduced quality and yield
stability in wheat production under low-input conditions. The present project intends to
develop criteria allowing to find varieties that are adapted for low-input agricultural
conditions. Therefore, yield and nitrogen uptake and use dynamics of eleven modern
wheat varieties have been studied under low and high input conditions on a long term
field experiment in Changins. This preliminary report shows that nitrogen efficiency
defined as yield per available nitrogen is a useful criterion to distinguish nutrient
efficiency under high nitrogen conditons but not when nitrogen is lacking. In further
studies we will focus on backing quality as a potential indicator for nitrogen efficiency
at low nitrogen conditions
