The effect of temperature and growth density on the development and yield of two- and multi-rowed barley varieties

Authors

• Kirsti Äyräväinen Department of Plant Husbandry, University of Helsinki 00710 Helsinki, Finland
• Juhani Paatela Department of Plant Husbandry, University of Helsinki 00710 Helsinki, Finland

DOI: https://doi.org/10.23986/afsci.71867

Abstract

The effects of temperature and plant spacing on growth, on the distribution of biological mass within the plant, and on yield were studied with seven barley varieties at two temperatures, 10°C and 20° C, and two growth densities, 3 and 13 plants per pot. Vegetative development at 20° C was nearly twice as fast as at 10°C. After the plants had entered the reproductive phase, the difference in developmental rate became smaller. Plants grown at the lower temperature produced much higher total biological yields and grain yields than plants grown at the higher temperature. Percentage proportion of leaves was higher and proportion of culms lower at 20° C than at 10°C. Temperature had no significant effect on number of culms and 1000-grain weight. Number of grains per ear was higher at 10°C than at 20° C. Total biological yield per pot and grain yield per pot were larger when the plants were grown in dense populations. More culms and larger yields per individual plant were produced in sparse populations. Growth density did not affect the number of grains per ear. Length of ear and 1000-grain weight were larger in sparse than dense populations. Two-rowed barley varieties gave significantly higher total biological yields and slightly higher grain yields than multi-rowed varieties. There were no differences between the two types of barley in proportions of leaves, culms and roots. As expected, number of culms and 1000-grain weight were higher, and number of grains per ear was lower, in the two-rowed than in the multi-rowed varieties. Among the various yield components, number of culms explained most of the yield. The number of grains per ear explained a smaller proportion, and 1000-grain weight a larger proportion, of the yield of the two-rowed varieties than of that of the multirowed varieties. In both types of barley there was a significant positive correlation between number of culms and 1000-grain weight. The number of grains per ear was not correlated with the number of culms; neither was it correlated with 1000-grain weight. There were differences between the two-row and multi-row types in correlations between culm numbers, leaves and roots. The distribution of biological yield between various plant parts in different phases of development did not affect the grain yield.