Husk size and underdevelopment of husks under excess soil moisture condition in malting barley.

Abstract

The objective of this study was to clarify the factors causing underdevelopment of husks in malting barley. Materials were grown under six different excess soil moisture treatments combined with shading treatment or low (high) temperature treatment during the husk-size-determination period, i.e., from flag leaf emergence stage to heading stage, when the length and width of lemma and palea rapidly increased. The degree of excess soil moisture treatment was expressed by I (flooding condition) -VI (good soil moisture condition). The growth of lemma and palea were inhibited with the degree of soil moisture treatments (VI→I), and were extremely inhibited by the excess soil moisture treatment combined with shading treatment or low temperature treatment. The growth of kernel in IV∼VI plots, in which the damage were little, were not inhibited. But those in I-IV plots were inhibited with the degree of soil moisture treatments. The husk underdevelopment, which resulted in the exposure of caryopsis through lemma and palea, was severe in IV and V plots under all treatments, and was occured when excess soil moisture was combined with shading and/or low temperature, because of the unbalance between husk and kernel sizes.