We have been studying the effect of nitrogen fertiliser on the grain yield, protein content and Zeleny-index of five triticale genotypes in a field experiment on small parcels in Kisvárda for two years. We applied a mixture of ammonium nitrate and chalk powder as top fertiliser twice at spring, at tillering and heading stages.

We found that 50 kg ha-1 nitrogen at the stage of tillering significantly increased the grain yield of all varieties, but the same dose at the time of heading decreased the yield by 0.2–16% according to the control in the case of four varieties in the first year and two varieties in the second year. 100 kg ha-1 nitrogen divided between the two occasions of fertilising increased grain yield only in the second year. All genotypes were observed to be significantly different concerning the yield response to the N fertiliser. However, quality parameters of all varieties changed for the better after fertilising. The increase in grain protein content ranged between 6.5–11.5% in the first year and 11.0–19.4% in the second year, and the increase of Zeleny-index ranged between 0–17.3% in the first year and 16.4–50.5% in the second year by 50 kg ha-1 nitrogen at the stage of heading, depending of genotypes. The effect of 100 kg ha-1 nitrogen on yield quality was the same as that of the half of the applied fertiliser. The variety x fertiliser interaction was not significant in either year. These results accounted for the importance of variety-specific nitrogen top-dressing technology of triticale which also depends on the aim of production.

Keywords: triticale, top-dressing, yield, raw protein, Zeleny-index