Open AccessPre‐ and Post‐Anthesis Duration of Two‐Rowed Barleys in Relation to Stability of Grain Yield at High Latitudes
Author(s) -
Peltonen J.,
Nissilä E.
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
hereditas
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.819
H-Index - 50
eISSN - 1601-5223
pISSN - 0018-0661
DOI - 10.1111/j.1601-5223.1996.00217.x
Subject(s) - anthesis , biology , agronomy , yield (engineering) , grain yield , cultivar , limiting , zoology , materials science , mechanical engineering , metallurgy , engineering
A short growing season and consequent demand for early maturing cultivars are the main factors limiting yield potential of two‐rowed barley in Finland. This study was undertaken to compare spikelet production of ten two‐rowed barleys which differed in duration of pre‐anthesis and grain filling, and to clarify how reduced duration of these phases contributes to stability of yield formation under long‐day conditions. Spikelet set declined but number of fertile spikelets increased with decrease in the length of the pre‐anthesis phase. Breeding for a short pre‐anthesis phase may not necessarily reduce grain yield, but could lead to instability in yield formation. In selecting breeding lines with a short pre‐anthesis phase, a pre‐anthesis phase to maturity class ratio (P:M ratio) of 0.58 was found to be suitable under Finnish conditions, resulting in higher spikelet fertility, higher number of grains spike ‐1 and higher grain yield than either lower or higher ratios.