The content of macronutrients in cereal grains depends on the species- and cultivar-related traits as well as the soil and weather conditions, in addition to the applied agrotechnical treatments. The purpose of this study has been to determine the effect of the date of sowing and NPK fertilization level on the content of macronutrients (N, P, K, Mg, Ca) in the winter triticale cultivar called Twingo. The first experimental factor was the date of sowing (4 dates, set at two-week intervals): I – 15-16 September, II – 29-30 September, III – 14-15 October, and IV – 29-30 October. The second factor consisted of two NPK fertilization variants (in kg ha-1): 1 NPK (280 kg ha-1), including 120 N, 60 P and 100 K, and 1.5 NPK (420 kg ha-1), including 180 N, 90 P and 150 K. The date of sowing of the winter triticale variety Twingo did not have any distinct and year repeatable effects causing significant changes in the content of the analyzed macronutrients in grain. Nevertheless, the highest accumulation of nitrogen and magnesium was determined in the grain of triticale sown on the latest date, at the end of October, while phosphorus and calcium accumulated the most in the grain of triticale sown in mid-September, and potassium was most abundant in the grain of triticale sown in late September. The higher NPK fertilization level had a significant effect, particularly increasing the content of nitrogen in grain, but also stimulating the accumulation of phosphorus and magnesium. The content of potassium did not show any distinctly consistent trend over the years, while the content of calcium in grain did not depend on the NPK level. The content of the analyzed macronutrients in winter triticale grain tended to be significantly different between the research years. The highest concentrations of macronutrients, except phosphorus, were achieved in the last year, when the grain yields were the lowest.

25.2.2020