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Grain and straw yield interactions in barley cultivar mixtures

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 June 2019

A. C. Newton*
Affiliation:
Cell and Molecular Sciences, James Hutton Institute, Invergowrie, Dundee DD2 5DA, UK
D. C. Guy
Affiliation:
Cell and Molecular Sciences, James Hutton Institute, Invergowrie, Dundee DD2 5DA, UK
C. A. Hackett
Affiliation:
Biomathematics and Statistics Scotland (BioSS), Invergowrie, Dundee DD2 5DA, UK
*
Author for correspondence: A. C. Newton, E-mail: adrian.newton@hutton.ac.uk

Abstract

Cultivar mixtures of winter barley and spring barley, together with their component monocultures, were grown in field trials to assess the effect of cultivar combinations on both straw and grain yield. The overall grain yields for all trials were significantly higher for the cultivar mixtures than for the corresponding component monocultures. Also, significant decreases in rhynchosporium disease severity for cultivar mixtures were recorded for most non-fungicide treatments. The size of these responses was often significantly correlated with the component number of the mixtures. The amount of straw produced in mixtures was sometimes changed significantly, but not always in a positive direction and it was only correlated with increasing mixture component number in two environments. No correlation of straw yield potential of cultivars with performance in mixtures was found. Cultivar × cultivar mixture × environment interactions appeared to affect the relative yield of grain and straw differentially and therefore it was not possible to predict the effect of mixtures on the harvest index.

Type
Crops and Soils Research Paper
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2019 

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