Effect of hail on isogenic lines of barley

Abstract

Abstract Six sets of two-six rowed isogenic lines with the four genotypes VVii, VVII, vvii , and vvII , were planted 1 May 1978. The isolines were at the soft dough stage when damaged by a hailstorm 16 July 1978. Each isoline was harvested at maturity and culms with spikes were separated into four groups based on erect or bent culms and on kernel shattering or no kernel shattering of spikes on these culms. Hail was found to have an effect on the percentage of shattered spikes, plump kernels, and kernel shattering. Plants in the isogenic sets had a higher percentage of bent than erect culms, as well as more unshattered than shattered spikes. Two-rowed isolines had significantly higher percentages of shattered spikes than six-rowed. There were significant differences among isogenic sets for percentage of plump kernels. Two-rowed isolines had plumper kernels than six-rowed. When data were averaged over isolines, unshattered spikes had significantly plumper kernels than shattered spikes. There was significantly more kernel shattering in two-rowed isolines than in six-rowed isolines. Spikes on bent culms shattered less than spikes on erect culms. The isogenic set of Glacier had a higher percentage of shattered spikes than any other isogenic set and had a higher percentage of plump kernels on shattered than unshattered spikes. Glacier headed 20 days before the hailstorm and 5–8 days before the other isogenic sets and thus was more susceptible to shattering but less susceptible to reduction in kernel size. This study indicates that hail damages the culms and kernels of barley with the severity depending upon whether cultivars are two-rowed or six-rowed, a Manchurian type malting or feed type, and when the hail occurs in relation to heading time. In a high hail hazard area farmers should avoid growing two-rowed or Manchurian type six-rowed malting barley cultivars, as they are the most susceptible to hail damage.