Molecular Soil Biology 2025, Vol.16, No.5, 265-271 http://bioscipublisher.com/index.php/msb 265 Feature Review Open Access The Impact of Nitrogen Fertilization on Yield and Quality of Different Wheat Varieties Shiying Yu Biotechnology Research Center, Cuixi Academy of Biotechnology, Zhuji, 311800, China Corresponding email: shiying.yu@cuixi.org Molecular Soil Biology, 2025, Vol.16, No.5 doi: 10.5376/msb.2024.15.0024 Received: 27 Aug, 2025 Accepted: 09 Oct., 2025 Published: 19 Oct., 2025 Copyright © 2025 Yu, This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Preferred citation for this article: Yu S.Y., 2025, The impact of nitrogen fertilization on yield and quality of different wheat varieties, Molecular Soil Biology, 16(5): 265-271 (doi: 10.5376/msb.2024.15.0024) Abstract Nitrogen fertilizer application plays a crucial role in optimizing wheat production, affecting both yield formation and grain quality. However, balancing these two goals remains challenging due to differences in the response of different varieties to nitrogen fertilizer and the physiological trade-offs between yield and quality traits. This study systematically summarizes the current research on the effects of nitrogen fertilizer application on different wheat varieties, focusing on growth stage regulation, root development, nutrient absorption, protein accumulation, starch synthesis and overall grain quality. It explores the genetic basis of nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) and identifies key traits and quantitative trait loci (QTL) that control nitrogen uptake, utilization and response in high-gluten, medium-gluten and low-gluten wheat. Through case studies of some wheat genotypes, it illustrates how the adaptability of varieties to nitrogen input affects yield and processing quality under different cultivation systems. This study hopes to combine genomic tools with precision fertilization practices to provide a sustainable way to achieve high yield, high quality and reduced nitrogen input in wheat production systems. Keywords Nitrogen fertilization; Wheat varieties; Grain quality; Nitrogen use efficiency; Yield performance 1 Introduction Wheat is an important food crop in the world. Today's agriculture requires not only high yields but also good quality to meet the dual needs of eating and processing (Zörb et al., 2018; Martre et al., 2024). These two goals are often linked, but sometimes they conflict with each other. For example, if the yield is high, the protein content may be low, affecting the quality and nutrition of the flour. Farmers and breeders hope to grow more and better wheat. High production capacity ensures food supply and can also make planting more profitable; and the quality of wheat, such as protein content, gluten strength, and mineral absorption, determines what kind of food it is suitable for, and is also related to its nutritional value (Gaile et al., 2018). However, it is not easy to achieve these two goals at the same time, because sometimes improving one will affect the other. For example, applying more fertilizer for high yield may dilute the protein content. Nitrogen (N) is one of the most important and most easily deficient nutrients in wheat growth. It has a great impact on yield and grain quality (Wang et al., 2023; Yokamo et al., 2023; Martre et al., 2024). If nitrogen is applied properly, it can increase protein content, improve dough quality, and increase yield. However, if too much or too little is applied, the nitrogen fertilizer will not be worthwhile, not only affecting wheat growth, but also polluting the environment (Walsh et al., 2022; Xu et al., 2024). In addition, different wheat varieties respond differently to nitrogen fertilizers. Some varieties have strong nitrogen absorption capacity, while others are not so good. Therefore, if you want to ensure both yield and quality, you must understand the performance of each variety on nitrogen fertilizers in order to scientifically formulate a fertilization plan. This study reviews the latest research progress on how nitrogen fertilizer affects the yield and quality of different wheat varieties, and explores the physiological mechanisms, variety differences and agronomic measures that mediate these effects in order to optimize nitrogen fertilizer management strategies to achieve the dual goals of high yield and high quality, while emphasizing the importance of variety selection and practices tailored to local conditions.
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