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The efficiency of visual assessment of grain yield and its components in spring barley rows
Author(s) -
ISMAIL A. B.,
VALENTINE J.
Publication year - 1983
Publication title -
annals of applied biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.677
H-Index - 80
eISSN - 1744-7348
pISSN - 0003-4746
DOI - 10.1111/j.1744-7348.1983.tb02725.x
Subject(s) - biology , row , grain yield , agronomy , yield (engineering) , crop , character (mathematics) , spring (device) , statistics , mathematics , computer science , database , mechanical engineering , materials science , geometry , metallurgy , engineering
SUMMARY The efficiency of visual assessment for grain yield and its components in spring barley rows was examined using a number of assessors. In 20 out of 28 combinations of assessor and character, only 20 or less lines were needed to be retained from the set of 99 lines to save at least 50% of the best 10 lines. Assessments of tillers/row and to a lesser extent 1000‐grain weight were generally more effective than assessments of yield/row and grain/ear. The low effectiveness of assessment of grains/ear was attributed to inadequate sampling of ears. Four out of five assessors showed bias towards assessment of tillers/row, the most easily assessed character, in their assessments of yield/row. Experienced barley workers were more successful in their assessments than others less familiar with the crop. Specially developed keys, aimed at making visual assessment more objective, generally had only small positive effects on the efficiency of assessment. Repeated assessments of characters by some assessors were consistent. It was concluded that visual assessment rather than direct measurement should be recognised as a basic tool of breeding in the early generations, using a large number of lines as a ‘safety net’ allowing the loss of some of the best lines.