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The development of barley grain: comparisons between cultivars for growth rate and α-amylase activity

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

T. J. Riggs  and
P. G. Gothard
T. J. Riggs
Affiliation:
Plant Breeding Institute, Trumpington, Cambridge
P. G. Gothard
Affiliation:
Plant Breeding Institute, Trumpington, Cambridge
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Summary

Grains from ears of known anthesis time in seven spring barley cultivars were measured for dry weight and α-amylase activity at regular intervals during grain maturation. During the period 10–31 days after anthesis, dry weight increase of the grain was found to be substantially linear in all the cultivars. Comparisons between linear slopes fitted for this phase of growth were found to provide an objective means of comparing grain growth rates in different cultivars.

α-Amylase activity per grain reached a peak in all except one cultivar at between 10 and 16 days after anthesis but declined rapidly during the linear phase of grain growth. α-Amylase activity per gram grain dry weight decreased exponentially during this period and transformation of the data to logarithms allowed a substantially linear fit to be made. Slopes for each of the cultivars were compared.

Differences were found between cultivars in grain growth rates, total α-amylase activity and rates of fall of α-amylase activity per gram for the period 10–31 days after anthesis. No relationship could be found between grain growth rate and either the absolute level of α-amylase activity achieved in the grain or the rate of fall in activity during development.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 86 , Issue 3 , June 1976 , pp. 603 - 608
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1976

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