Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-dlnhk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-25T10:49:58.243Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Uniculm and conventional tillering barley accessions under northern growing conditions

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 July 2011

P. MÄKELÄ*
Affiliation:
Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 27, 00014, Helsinki, Finland
S. MUURINEN
Affiliation:
Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 27, 00014, Helsinki, Finland
*
*To whom all correspondence should be addressed. Email: pirjo.makela@helsinki.fi

Summary

At high northern latitudes, growing seasons are short with long days. In these conditions, tillering is an unwanted trait in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), because the grains on tillers develop later than those on the main stem and are often harvested before they are fully mature, leading to reductions in overall quality. Hence, the uniculm growth habit has been considered an interesting option for boreal barley production. The aim of the present study was to determine the differences in the yield formation of conventional tillering and uniculm barley, using two pairs of near-isogenic lines and two controls. Uniculm and conventional tillering barley were grown in three experiments conducted at Suitia Experimental Farm, University Helsinki, Finland during 1999–2001. Samples were collected frequently to monitor the biomass and leaf area accumulation. Water-soluble carbohydrate content was analysed at anthesis and at maturity in different plant parts. At maturity, the numbers of spikes/plant and grains/spike were calculated and grain yield weighed. The grain yield of the uniculm barleys was stable over these growing seasons, but it was only half that of the conventional barley cultivars due to the absence of spike-bearing tillers, lower spike grain number and spike weight. In addition, the ability to transport photosynthesized carbohydrates to grains may have been reduced. Thus, it seems that uniculm barleys do not provide further improvement in barley yield.

Type
Crops and Soils Research Paper
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2011

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Acreche, M. M. & Slafer, G. A. (2009). Variation of grain nitrogen content in relation with grain yield in old and modern Spanish wheats grown under a wide range of agronomic conditions in a Mediterranean region. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 147, 657667.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Aravinda Kumar, B. N., Azam-Ali, S. N., Snape, J. W., Weightman, R. M. & Foulkes, M. J. (2011). Relationships between carbon isotope discrimination and grain yield in winter wheat under well-watered and drought conditions. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 149, 257272.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Austin, R. B., Morgan, C. L., Ford, M. A. & Blackwell, R. D. (1980). Contributions to grain yield from pre-anthesis assimilation in tall and dwarf barley phenotypes in two contrasting seasons. Annals of Botany 45, 309319.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Balkema-Boomstra, A. G. & Mastebroek, H. D. (1993). The grain yield of uniculm barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) in two contrasting environments. Euphytica 66, 103110.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Daniels, R. W., Alcock, M. B. & Scarisbrick, D. H. (1982). A reappraisal of stem reserve contribution to grain yield in spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 98, 347355.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dofing, S. M. (1996). Near-isogenic analysis of uniculm and conventional-tillering barley lines. Crop Science 36, 15231526.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dofing, S. M. & Karlsson, M. G. (1993). Growth and development of uniculm and conventional-tillering barley lines. Agronomy Journal 85, 5861.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dofing, S. M. & Knight, C. W. (1994). Yield component compensation in uniculm barley lines. Agronomy Journal 86, 273276.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Donald, C. M. (1979). A barley breeding programme based on an ideotype. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 93, 261269.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dreccer, M. F., van Herwaarden, A. F. & Chapman, S. C. (2009). Grain number and grain weight in wheat lines contrasting for stem water soluble carbohydrates. Field Crops Research 112, 4354.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Duggan, B. L., Richards, R. A. & van Herwaarden, A. F. (2005). Agronomic evaluation of a tiller inhibition gene (tin) in wheat. II. Growth and partitioning of assimilates. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 56, 179186.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gaunt, R. E. & Wright, A. C. (1992). Disease–yield relationship in barley. II. Contribution of stored stem reserves to grain filling. Plant Pathology 41, 688701.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
González, A., Bermejo, V. & Gimeno, B. S. (2010). Effect of different physiological traits on grain yield in barley grown under irrigated and terminal water deficit conditions. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 148, 319328.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kivisaari, S. & Elonen, P. (1974). Irrigation as a method of preventing detrimental late tillering of barley. Journal of the Scientific Agricultural Society in Finland 46, 194207.Google Scholar
Mäkelä, P., Muurinen, S. & Peltonen-Sainio, P. (2008). Spring cereals: from dynamic ideotypes to cultivars in northern latitudes. Agricultural and Food Science 17, 289306.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McDonald, G. K. (1990). The growth and yield of uniculm and tillered barley over a range of sowing rates. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 41, 449461.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Naylor, R. E. L., Stokes, D. T. & Matthews, S. (1998). Biomass, shoot uniformity and yield of winter barley. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 131, 1321.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Peltonen-Sainio, P. & Peltonen, J. (1997 a). Breaking uniculm growth habit of spring cereals at high latitudes by crop management. I. Leaf area index and biomass accumulation. Journal of Agronomy and Crop Science 178, 7986.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Peltonen-Sainio, P. & Peltonen, J. (1997 b). Breaking uniculm growth habit of spring cereals at high latitudes by crop management. II. Tillering, grain yield and yield components. Journal of Agronomy and Crop Science 178, 8795.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Peltonen-Sainio, P., Muurinen, S., Rajala, A. & Jauhiainen, L. (2008). Variation in harvest index of modern spring barley, oat and wheat cultivars adapted to northern growing conditions. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 146, 3547.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Peltonen-Sainio, P., Jauhiainen, L., Rajala, A. & Muurinen, S. (2009). Tiller traits of spring cereals under tiller-depressing long day conditions. Field Crops Research 113, 8289.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rattey, A., Shorter, R., Chapman, S., Dreccer, F. & van Herwaarden, A. (2009). Variation for and relationships among biomass and grain yield component traits conferring improved yield and grain weight in an elite wheat population grown in variable yield environments. Crop and Pasture Science 60, 717729.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rawson, H. M. (1971). Tillering patterns in wheat with special reference to the shoot at the coleoptile node. Australian Journal of Biological Sciences 24, 829841.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rebetzke, G. J., López-Castañeda, C., Botwright Acuna, T. L., Condon, A. G. & Richards, R. A. (2008). Inheritance of coleoptiles tiller appearance and size in wheat. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 59, 863873.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Volenec, J. J., Boyce, P. J. & Hendershot, K. L. (1991). Carbohydrate metabolism in taproots of Medicago sativa L. during winter adaptation and spring regrowth. Plant Physiology 96, 786793.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Yemm, E. W. & Willis, A. J. (1954). The estimation of carbohydrates in plant extracts by anthrone. Biochemical Journal 57, 508514.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed