Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-lj6df Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-19T07:40:17.097Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

A comparison of leaf and ear development in barley cultivars as affected by nitrogen supply

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

J. E. Dale  and
R. G. Wilson
J. E. Dale
Affiliation:
Botany Department, University of Edinburgh
R. G. Wilson
Affiliation:
Botany Department, University of Edinburgh
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

Twenty-one two-row and 19 six-row barley cultivars, originating from the major barley growing areas, were compared in a duplicated experiment conducted under controlled environment conditions. Plants were grown in sand and supplied nitrate at two concentrations.

Number of leaves on the mainstem and leaf emergence rate both varied widely but there were no consistent differences between two- and six-row cultivars. The low nitrogen treatment led to significant reductions in number of leaves and emergence rates. As a result of these opposing effects the time of appearance of the flag leaf was not affected by treatment. The number of leaves unfolded was a linear function of time where nitrogen was supplied at high concentration but for plants supplied with low nitrogen, appearance of the third and fourth leaves was considerably delayed. Cultivars producing fewer leaves on the mainstem also showed faster leaf emergence and both these factors contributed to the earliness of a cultivar.

Low nitrogen treatments reduced number of spikelets per ear in both two-row and six-row barleys; this treatment also reduced the number of grain filled, although mean grain weight was not affected. Faster leaf emergence rates were associated with fewer spikelets per ear in both nitrogen treatments.

Since they are based on a relatively large number of cultivars it is likely that these results are general for barley. The importance of further detailed examination of apical development is indicated.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 90 , Issue 3 , June 1978 , pp. 503 - 508
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1978

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

Aspinall, D. & Paleg, L. G. (1963). Effects of daylength and light intensity on growth of barley. I. Growth and development of the apex with a fluorescent light source. Botanical Gazette 124, 429–37.Google Scholar
Bonnett, O. T. (1966). Inflorescences of maize, wheat, rye, barley and oats; their initiation and development. University of Illinois College of Agriculture. Bulletin 721.Google Scholar
Dale, J. E. (1976 a). Nitrate reduction in the first leaf and roots of barley seedlings grown in sand and in culture solution. Annals of Botany 40, 1177–84.Google Scholar
Dale, J. E. (1976 b). Cell division in leaves. In Cell Division in Higher Plants (ed. Yeoman, M. M.), pp. 315–45. London: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Dale, J. E., Felippe, G. M. & Fletcher, G. M. (1972). Effects of shading the first leaf on growth of barley plants. 1. Long-term experiments. Annals of Botany 36, 385–95.Google Scholar
Dale, J. E., Felippe, G. M. & Marriott, C. (1974). The effects of irradiance on uptake and assimilation of nitrate by young barley seedlings. Annals of Botany 39, 43–55.Google Scholar
Fisher, J. E. (1973). Developmental morphology of the inflorescence in hexaploid wheat cultivars with and without the Cultivar Norin 10 in their ancestry. Canadian Journal of Plant Science 53, 7–15.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fletcher, G. M. & Dale, J. E. (1974). Growth of tiller buds in barley: effects of shade treatment and mineral nutrition. Annals of Botany 38, 63–76.Google Scholar
Fletcher, G. M. & Dale, J. E. (1977). A comparison of mainstem and tiller growth in barley; apical development and leaf-unfolding rates. Annals of Botany 41, 109–16.Google Scholar
Holmes, D. P. (1973). Inflorescence development of semi-dwarf and standard height wheat cultivars in different photoperiod and nitrogen treatments. Canadian Journal of Botany 51, 941–56.Google Scholar
Kirby, E. J. M. (1973 a). The control of leaf and ear size in barley. Journal of Experimental Botany 24, 567–78.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kirby, E. J. M. (1973 b). Effect of temperature on ear abnormalities in barley. Journal of Experimental Botany 24, 935–47.Google Scholar
Metivier, J. M. & Dale, J. E. (1977). The utilisation of endosperm reserves during early growth of barley cultivars and the effect of time application of nitrogen. Annals of Botany 41, 715–28.Google Scholar
Nicholls, P. B. & May, L. H. (1963). Studies on the growth of the barley apex. 1. Inter-relationships between primordia formation, apex length and spikelet development. Australian Journal of Biological Science 16, 561–71.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Terry, N. (1970). Developmental physiology of sugar beet. II. Effects of temperature and nitrogen supply on the growth, soluble carbohydrate content and nitrogen content of leaves and roots. Journal of Experimental Botany 21, 477–98.CrossRefGoogle Scholar