Growth Analysis of Five Spring and Five Winter Triticale Genotypes

Abstract

AbstractLittle is known about the pattern of growth and biomass partitioning of spring and winter triticale (×Triticosecale Wittmack), although such information can aid in interpreting the results of field experiments and is an essential step in the development of crop simulation models. This study was conducted to analyze and compare the growth of five winter and five spring triticale genotypes over two years in northeast Spain. Plants were sampled at the main stages of the Zadoks scale, and biomass, LAI and their components, and stem elongation were determined. The relationships between all the growth traits studied and accumulated growing degree‐days from sowing (GDD) were described by the same asymmetric logistic peak curve. Genotypic variability could be mainly associated with plant phenology. On average, winter triticale types needed 165 more GDD than spring types to reach maximum LAI. Also, winter triticale genotypes needed 190 more GDD to complete their main stem elongation, and 109 more GDD to reach their maximum rate of dry weight accumulation in the stems than spring genotypes did. The length of the first tiller was closer to the length of the main stem in winter types than in spring types. Both types of triticale had similar patterns of biomass accumulation. The asymmetric logistic peak curve used in this work fitted asymptotic and peak‐type relationships, and can be a useful tool for growth studies.