.

GRDC supported studies in Western Australia are reviewing the impact different barley coleoptile lengths have on emergence and production when seed is sown at different depths.

According to Blakely Paynter of DAFWA, barley breeders should consider what wheat breeders have already achieved in developing wheat cultivars with improved coleoptile length and ability to emerge from deep sowing.

"Traditionally the coleoptile length of barley cultivars grown in Australia is around seven centimetres, but the coleoptile length of the new barley cultivars Buloke*, Dash*, Hindmarsh* and Flagship* is shorter than this," Mr Paynter said.

Mr Paynter is assessing the interaction between the seed dressing triadimenol and the pre-emergent herbicide trifluralin because both can reduce coleoptile length by as much as two centimetres.

Barley cultivars with three coleoptile lengths are being compared: shorter than average (Dash* and Hindmarsh*), average (Hamelin and Vlamingh ) and longer than average (Doolup* and Fleet*).

* Variety protected under the Plant Breeders Rights Act 1994.

The news item on this page is copyright by the organization where it originated - Fair use notice

Other news from this source