Pre- and post-anthesis duration of two-rowed barleys in relation to stability of grain yield at high latitudes

Abstract

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.