Studies on the Stiffness of Culms in Barley Plants (Hordeum sativum, JESSEN) : 1. Development of culms.

Abstract

Many studies have been conducted on the problem of lodging in cereals, and in these studies many characters concerning to lodging were investigated and several techniques for determining lodging resistances have been proposed. In general, many past studies have been projected in physical property of culms, and techniques for measuring of physical properties. As culm are constituted of metabolic products, it will be necessary to have the physiological consideration on the stiffness of culms. The stiffness of culm is considerded to be the important physical character for lodging resistance of barley. The purpose of this study is to make clear the mechanism of the stiffness of culms. A brittle culm variety, Sekitorisai-No. 1, and a stiff culm variety Haganemugi (Hordeum sativum, JESSEN) were used to compare the relation between culm development and dry matter production. It was observed that the distribution ratio of dry matter to culm was higher in the stiff culm variety than in the brittle variety. The growth of culm rapidly proceeded before the heading stage, and the constitution of internodes were regarded as that the upper internodes were long and the basal ones short. The tendency was more apparent in stiff culms.