High Tillering Capacity Research Articles

Registration of ‘FL12034‐10’ oat: A new dual‐purpose disease resistant cultivar for Florida and southern United States

Abstract‘FL12034‐10’ (Reg. no. CV‐389, PI 704483), a facultative oat (Avena sativa L.) cultivar, co‐developed by the University of Florida and Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, was released in October 2022. FL12034‐10 was derived from a three‐way cross LA06055SBSBSB‐79/FL11048 F1. It is well adapted across the southern United States and provides producers with a medium‐tall, mid‐season, awnless, white‐glumed, dual‐purpose oat that has high yield potential, good straw strength, and good forage yield. FL12034‐10 was observed to be uniform and stable across environments in the southern United States from 2017 to present. The line possesses a semi‐prostrate growth habit, vigorous growth, and high tillering capacity, and has large leaves that are dark green in color. It expresses moderate‐to‐high levels of resistance to most oat diseases prevalent in the southern United States. The crown and stem rust and Barley yellow dwarf virus ratings (0–9 scale) of FL12034‐10 were 1.7, 0.7, and 1.5, respectively, across different environments. The disease ratings were better than most of the checks. The grain yield average of FL12034‐10 from 41 environments during 2018–2021 was 6437 kg ha−1, which is competitive with check cultivars that are widely used in the southern part of the United States. The forage yield of FL12034‐10 ranged from 2358 to 6617 kg ha−1 (20 environments), which was higher than most of the checks. FL12034‐10 demonstrated better lodging and disease resistance, higher grain yield potential, and higher mid‐winter to late spring season forage yield potential than Horizon 720 and Legend 567 oats released by University of Florida.

‘FLLA09015‐U1’: A broadly adapted dual‐purpose oat cultivar for southern USA

Abstract‘FLLA09015‐U1’ (Reg. no. CV‐387, PI 699117) is a new facultative oat (Avena sativa L.) cultivar that was co‐developed by the University of Florida and Louisiana State University Agricultural Center and was released in 2019. This line was derived from a single cross of FL0210‐J1/MN06203. FLLA09015‐U1 has considerable potential for grain and forage yield and for conservation tillage purposes in the southern United States. Exclusive marketing rights for FLLA09015‐U1 has been granted to JoMar Seeds and is currently commercialized under the name of Juggernaut. FLLA09015‐U1 was developed using selected bulk breeding method and was selected as an F5:6 head row. The line was evaluated in advanced, regional, and state grain and forage yield trials from 2015 to 2021. FLLA09015‐U1 was observed to be uniform and stable across environments in the southern United States from 2015 to present. The line possesses a semi‐prostrate growth habit and has large leaves that are dark green in color. It is a mid‐maturing, medium to mid‐tall height with excellent grain yield and good forage yield and test weight. It has excellent crown rust resistance and very good resistance to Barley yellow dwarf virus and stem rust and demonstrated moderate lodging resistance. It has performed very well in both grain and forage trials. FLLA09015‐U1 has broad environmental adaptation and has performed well in Louisiana, Florida, Georgia, Texas, Alabama, and South Carolina. We consider FLLA09015‐U1 to be a good dual‐purpose type of oat because of its high grain yield potential and vigorous growth and high tillering capacity.

‘FLLA11019‐8’: A new dual‐purpose facultative oat cultivar for grain and forage production in the southern United States

Abstract‘FLLA11019‐8’ (Reg. no. CV‐386, PI 700040) is new facultative oat (Avena sativa L.) cultivar for the southern United States for forage, grain, cover, and wildlife food crop uses. It was co‐developed by the University of Florida and Louisiana State University Agricultural Center and was released in 2020 under the SunGrains, a cooperative small grain breeding program among seven Southern Universities. This line was derived from a single cross between two advanced breeding lines, FL0564‐Ab13 and LA06071SBSB‐S1. Exclusive marketing rights were granted to Ragan & Massey, Inc., and the line is currently commercializing under the names of RAM Forage Oats and PlotSpike Forage Oats. The University of Florida is the lead institution in this release. FLLA11019‐8 (originally named FLLA11‐19S‐8) was developed using the selected bulk breeding method and was selected as an F5:6 head row. The line was evaluated in observation, preliminary, advanced, regional, and state grain and forage yield trials from 2016 to 2021. FLLA11019‐8 was released based on the merits of its broad adaptation, excellent grain yield, volume weight, forage potential, and winter survival. It is resistant to crown rust and stem rust and moderately resistant to Barley yellow dwarf virus. It is a mid‐maturing and mid‐tall height variety. FLLA11019‐8 has semi‐prostrate plant type with vigorous early‐season growth and high tillering capacity. It has performed very well in both grain and forage trials and is broadly adapted to the southern and southeastern United States.

Deois flexuosa (Hemiptera: Cercopidae) in Perennial Forage Species (Poaceae): Quali-quantitative Impacts and Tolerance Expression.

This study aimed to characterize the quantitative and qualitative damage caused by Deois flexuosa (Walker) (Hemiptera: Cercopidae) adults in Axonopus catharinensis cv. SCS 315 Catarina and Cynodon dactylon (Tifton 85 and Jiggs cultivars) under different infestation densities and, consequently, the expression of tolerance-type resistance. For this purpose, potted plants were infested with different insect densities (0, 5, 10, 20, and 40 adults m-2). The impact of the infestation levels was assessed in the first growth cycle (10-day coexistence period) and in the regrowth (40days after the first cut, without infestation) based on crop yield and chemical-bromatological composition as well as on photosynthetic pigments and hydrogen peroxide content. The principal component analysis relating infestation density and chemical-bromatological parameters showed a positive correlation between infestation density of D. flexuosa and the contents of neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, and the dry matter (DM). On the other hand, infestation density inversely correlated with the tillering rate, photosynthetic pigments (chlorophyll a and b, carotenoids), and iron content. In general, the impacts on DM production and chemical-bromatological composition were lower in A. catharinensis cv. SCS 315 Catarina when compared to the Cynodon species, possibly because A. catharinensis has higher tillering capacity and does not show a reduction in the photosynthetic pigments, which may act as compensating factors to D. flexuosa damage. Our results demonstrate that the A. catharinensis cultivar expresses tolerance-type resistance to D. flexuosa and constitutes an interesting option for pasturelands formation and diversification where this spittlebug species is an emerging pest.

Effects of Different Planting Densities and Planting Spaces on the Growth and Yield Attributes of Rice under Irrigated Condition

Background: Rice is a staple food for majority of the world’s population. Biotic and abiotic factors can affect its growth, yield and quality attributes. An open field experiment was conducted during the rice-growing period from March to October 2015 to identify the effects of different planting densities and planting spacing on the growth attributes and yield performances of a high tillering capacity Indica rice variety (IR-28). Materials and Methods: The experiment was conducted under lowland condition in the research farm of Tsukuba International Center, Japan with four different planting densities and three replications in a randomized complete block design. Four different planting densities were selected as high density (15x20cm), standard density (15x30cm), medium density (25x25cm) and low density (30x30cm). Rice growth traits including plant length, tiller number, SPAD value and leaf color; yield and yield components consisting of panicle number per unit land area, spikelet number per panicle, ripening ratio, and 1000 grain weight were compared. Findings: The greatest grain yield was obtained from high planting density which was 6.5 ton per ha and the lowest (5.8 ton/ha) was from medium planting density. Low planting density increased plant length, tiller number per hill, SPAD value (chlorophyll content), leaf color beside panicle number per hill, spikelet number per panicle and percentage of ripened grain. Conclusion: This study clearly elucidated the effects of planting density on rice crop and helps farmers in the achievement of optimum yield. Thus, to obtain a satisfactory yield, planting density must be considered based on soil type and production requirement.

Exploring the legacy of Central European historical winter wheat landraces

Historical wheat landraces are rich sources of genetic diversity offering untapped reservoirs for broadening the genetic base of modern varieties. Using a 20K SNP array, we investigated the accessible genetic diversity in a Central European bread wheat landrace collection with great drought, heat stress tolerance and higher tillering capacity. We discovered distinct differences in the number of average polymorphisms between landraces and modern wheat cultivars, and identified a set of novel rare alleles present at low frequencies in the landrace collection. The detected polymorphisms were unevenly distributed along the wheat genome, and polymorphic markers co-localized with genes of great agronomic importance. The geographical distribution of the inferred Bayesian clustering revealed six genetically homogenous ancestral groups among the collection, where the Central European core bared an admixed background originating from four ancestral groups. We evaluated the effective population sizes (Ne) of the Central European collection and assessed changes in diversity over time, which revealed a dramatic ~ 97% genetic erosion between 1955 and 2015.

ADAPTATION AND RESPONSIVENESS OF SUGARCANE CULTIVARS UNDER IRRIGATED AND RAINFED PRODUCTION SYSTEMS

Sugarcane is grown in several countries and environmental conditions, and production increases should not only be based on the expansion of the cultivated area. As water is a limiting factor for sugarcane yield, irrigation is crucial to increase its yields. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the agronomic performance of five sugarcane cultivars under irrigated and rainfed conditions and compare yields in each treatment with those of previous cycles. The experiment was carried out from July 2017 to July 2018, which stands for the fourth sugarcane harvest. It consisted of two irrigation factors (irrigated and rainfed conditions), and five sugarcane cultivars (CTC4, IACSP93-3046, RB86-7515, IACSP95-5000, and IAC91-1099). Irrigation was applied to supply 100% of crop evapotranspiration. Irrigation increased sugarcane yields, and such increases varied with the genotype and crop cycle evaluated. In general, the cultivars most responsive to irrigation were IACSP93-3046 and IACSP95-5000, regardless of the evaluation cycle, and CTC4 from the fourth harvest onwards. Irrigation did not interfere with sugarcane technological quality if harvested after the middle of the crop season (June). Cultivars with higher tillering capacity, such as CTC4, had improved yield stability throughout the cycle when under irrigated conditions.

Biofertilizer Activity of Azospirillum sp. B510 on the Rice Productivity in Ghana.

Rice production in Ghana has become unsustainable due to the extremely nutrient-poor soils. It is caused by inadequate soil fertility management, including the inefficient application of fertilizers. A practical solution could be the biofertilizers, Azospirillum sp. B510. We performed field trials in Ghana and Japan to compare the effects of B510 colonization on selected Ghanaian rice varieties grown. The B510 inoculation significantly enhanced the rice cultivars’ growth and yield. The phenotypic characteristics observed in rice varieties Exbaika, Ex-Boako, AgraRice, and Amankwatia were mainly short length and high tillering capacity. These features are attributed to the host plant (cv. Nipponbare), from which the strain B510 was isolated. Furthermore, Azospirillum species has been identified as the dominant colonizing bacterium of rice rhizosphere across a diverse range of agroecologies in all major rice-growing regions in Ghana. Our results suggest that the utilization of B510 as a bio-fertilizer presents a promising way to improve rice growth, enhance soil fertility, and sustain rice productivity in Ghana.

Ethyl Methane Sulfonate (EMS) Effect on Mutagenesis in Balinese Red Rice (Oryza sativa cv. Barak Cenana)

“Barak Cenana” is one of the local red rice (Oryza sativa) with high economic value due to its nutrient content. Some of the agronomic characters such as tall shoot, low number of tiller, and late harvesting are drawbacks to improving production. Ethyl Methyl Sulphonate (EMS) is a chemical mutagen widely used to improve rice characters by mutation breeding. The present research aims to investigate the EMS concentration suitable to induce mutation in Barak Cenana and observe the mutagenesis effect of EMS on some agronomic characters of Barak Cenana. For those purposes, mature seeds of Barak Cenana were treated with various concentrations of EMS (0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1.0, and 1.1 %) for 24 hours. Seed germination, plant growth, some agronomic character related to productivity were compared to untreated rice. EMS reduced and delayed seed germination and inhibit shoot and root growth in early vegetative stage. The ability of EMS to reduce and delay seed germination and inhibit shoot and root growth were doses dependent. EMS concentration of more than 1.0% was lethal for Barak cenana and EMS concentration at 0.75% was able to reduce rice productivity by increasing seed sterility. EMS concentrations between 0.25 and 0.5% with 24 h of soaking are suitable for inducing mutagenesis in Barak Cenana. Additionally, some mutants with distinct morphology such as sterile plant, semi-dwarf, high tillering capacity, and high chlorophyll contents were produced in this research.

Effects of clipping on the nitrogen economy of four Triticum species grown in a Mediterranean environment

• N uptake in old and ancient wheats was not affected by dual-purpose use when the N removed by clipping was considered. • Both HI and NHI increased following clipping. • Einkorn was the species whose N economy suffered the least from dual-purpose utilization. • A high tillering capacity represented a desirable trait for both pre- and post clipping N uptake in dual-purpose cereals. • Cultivars with high biomass and N at anthesis and a low sink were at risk of N losses between anthesis and maturity. Dual-purpose utilization (herbage + grain) of ancient wheats and old durum wheat cultivars provides an interesting option for mixed farming systems in Mediterranean environments. Interest towards these species is partly due to their low nitrogen (N) requirements, but little information is available about their N economy, particularly under dual-purpose utilization. In this two-year field trial carried out in Sardinia (Italy), we assessed whether the morpho-physiological differences between emmer, einkorn, durum and Khorasan wheat translated into different N economies, and whether these economies were differentially impacted by dual-purpose utilization. At both clipping and anthesis, biomass accumulation played a key role in the genotypic variability in N uptake. At clipping, einkorn cultivars had produced the greatest amount of biomass and removed the greatest amount of N (74 kg ha −1 ) thanks to their late terminal spikelet; whereas Cappelli, Khorasan and Padre Pio showed the greatest biomass production and N uptake at anthesis (212 kg ha −1 ) owing to their tallness and morphology. The large genotypic variation observed in total N uptake at anthesis levelled off at maturity, mainly because of the N losses occurring at the canopy level after anthesis in cultivars Cappelli, Khorasan and Padre Pio. On average, clipped crops showed a lower (by about 46 kg ha −1 ) total N uptake at maturity compared with unclipped crops, but dual-purpose utilization did not negatively affect the N uptake if the N removed by clipping was taken into account. Clipping did not negatively affect N partitioning to the grain as the N harvest index increased after clipping as a consequence of the increased harvest index.

Correlation and path analysis in wheat cultivars in the initial period of development

The cultivation of soybeans in the central region of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, has increased the interest of farmers for winter crops in the region. However, information related to crop development in a low-latitude environment is limited and necessary to improve crop management. The objectives of this article were to evaluate the linear relation between traits of spring wheat cultivars in the initial period of development in a low-altitude site. The experiments were conducted in two years in Santa Maria - RS. The experimental design used was randomized blocks, with ten wheat cultivars. The evaluations were carried out at the end of the tillering, where 300 plants were selected per year, obtaining a total sample number of 600 plants. After selecting, the character’s plant height (PH), the number of leaves of the main stem (NLMS), the number of leaves per plant (NLP), the number of tillers (NT), and the dry matter (DM) were measured. Pearson’s correlation coefficient matrices were estimated, and the path analysis of the main variable DM was performed as a function of PH, NLMS, NLP, NT, and DM. The cultivars TBIO Mestre and TBIO Sinuelo have a higher number of tillers. The NLP has a greater direct effect on DM, in field conditions it is recommended to count the NT, as it has a direct relationship with DM and NLP, associated with this, the character is fast to count and has agronomic value for the wheat crop. In a low-altitude cultivation site, the number of tillers depends on cultivation and environmental conditions. The cultivars TBIO Mestre and TBIO Sinuelo have high tillering capacity. Based on linear relationships, through the non-destructive selection of wheat plants with a greater number of leaves per plant and a greater number of tillers, plants with a higher dry matter mass are indirectly selected. However, the number of tillers is recommended because it is quick to measure.

THE INFLUENCE OF DATE OF PLANTING AND FERTILIZER APPLICATION ON GROWTH COMPONENTS OF COLUMBUS GRASS (SORGHUM ALMUM)

Trials were conducted at Gangora in the northern Guinea Savanna ecological zone of Nigeria during the 1990 and 1991 rainy seasons. The effects of date of planting (4th,14th, 24th June and 4th July) and levels of nitrogen fertilizer (0, 50,100, 150 and 200kg/ha) on growth components of Sorghum almum were investigated. Planting in mid-June (14th June) in 1990 and early-July (4th July) in 1991 resulted in superior stand established and dry matter yields (p<0.05) than other dates. In mid-June and early-July planting 14 day post-planting, plant densities were 7.0 and 9.0 culms/m2 while plant heights were 20.4 and 11.3cm for the respective years. It had high tillering capacity and irrespective of date of planting (except for early-June planting) plant densities by 56 days post-planting (DPP) were greater than 100 culms/m2. Plant height at this stage were greater than 100 culms/m2 and were generally above 200cm. ninety DPP the pasture was at full bloom/hard dough stage. Dm yields then ranged from 8.0 to 11.4 tDM/ha in 1990 and 9.6 to 14.7 tDM/ha in 1991. Similarly seed yield for the respective years were 894.7 and 836.3 kg/ha. Fertilizer application (p<0.05) plant vigour, tillering and dry matter yield up to the highest N applied. In the first years trial, plant density at 35 days post-planting ranged from 12.0 to 29.0 culms/m2 while in the second year the ranged was 13.0 to 26.0 culms/m2. The corresponding values at 56 DPP (i.e 42 days following N application) were 32.0 to 81.0 and 45.0 to 101.0 culms/m2. Dry matter yields rose steadily from 6.5 to 12.5 tDM/ha in 1990 and from 8.9 to 13.6 tDM/ha in 1991 as fertilizer was increased 0 to 200 kgN/ha. Seed yield during the same period for the respective years varied from 416.0 to 753.0kg/ha. This study has shown that planting between mid-June and early-July with fertilize application of 100 to 200 khN/ha favour S. almum establishment and production in the northern Guinea Savanna of Nigeria

1RS arm of Secale cereanum \u2018Kriszta\u2019 confers resistance to stripe rust, improved yield components and high arabinoxylan content in wheat

Wheat-rye T1BL.1RS translocation is widespread worldwide as the genes on 1RS arm have positive effect on stress resistance, grain yield and adaptation ability of wheat. Nowadays, the T1BL.1RS wheat cultivars have become susceptible to rust diseases because of the monophyletic (‘Petkus’) origin of 1RS. Here we report and discuss the production and detailed investigation of a new T1BL.1RS translocation line carrying 1RS with widened genetic base originating from Secale cereanum. Line ‘179’ exhibited improved spike morphology traits, resistance against stripe rust and leaf rust, as well as higher tillering capacity, fertility and dietary fiber (arabynoxylan) content than the parental wheat genotype. Comparative analyses based on molecular cytogenetic methods and molecular (SSR and DArTseq) makers indicate that the 1RS arm of line ‘179’ is a recombinant of S. cereale and S. strictum homologues, and approximately 16% of its loci were different from that of ‘Petkus’ origin. 162 (69.5%) 1RS-specific markers were associated with genes, including 10 markers with putative disease resistance functions and LRR domains found on the subtelomeric or pericentromeric regions of 1RS. Line ‘179’ will facilitate the map-based cloning of the resistance genes, and it can contribute to healthy eating and a more cost-efficient wheat production.

RB985476 - a sugarcane cultivar with high agro-industrial yield and disease resistance

Abstract RB985476 has a high tillering capacity, excellent canopy cover, high longevity, high agro-industrial yield, medium to low fiber content and high germination capacity after mechanical harvesting. RB985476 is resistant to smut, brown and orange rusts and recommended for harvest in the middle growing season in the south-central region of Brazil.

Мінливість за врожайністю та якістю зерна колекції сортів пшениці озимої

Мінливість за врожайністю та якістю зерна колекції сортів пшениці озимої

CARACTERÍSTICAS ESTRUTURAIS E PRODUTIVAS EM HÍBRIDOS INTRAESPECÍFICOS E INTERESPECÍFICOS DE CAPIM-ELEFANTE

Resumo Objetivou-se avaliar a estrutura e a produção de forragem em híbridos de capim-elefante manejados sob corte. Utilizaram-se como tratamentos 24 clones de capim-elefante provenientes da Embrapa Gado de Leite e o Cameroom como testemunha. Os capins foram cortados rentes ao solo, a cada 60 dias. Os parâmetros avaliados foram: produção e teor de matéria seca, número de perfilhos basais, número de folhas por perfilho, altura da planta, diâmetro do colmo. A maior altura das plantas foi observada no clone CNPGL 00-103-1. O grupo com maior número de perfilhos teve três clones e média de 39,38 perfilhos m-2. No grupo dos clones CNPGL 00-103-1, CNPGL 93-25-3, CNPGL 00-16-1 e CNPGL 00-90-3 foram observados os maiores teores de matéria seca (22,7% de MS). As maiores massas de forragem, de lâmina foliar e de colmo foram observadas no clone CNPGL 00-214, 15852 e 6195 kg ha-1 de MS respectivamente. A maior relação lâmina foliar/colmo foi do clone CNPGL 00-201-1 e apenas neste a massa de lâmina foliar foi superior à de colmo. O clone CNPGL 00-214 mostrou-se mais produtivo, com alta capacidade de perfilhamento e de acúmulo de forragem.

Breeding value of spring barley varieties in terms of performance and plant structure elements

The results of evaluation of the breeding value of 30 spring barley varieties of different genetic and geographical origin in terms of performance and plant structure elements in the Eastern Forest-Steppe of Ukraine in 2013-2016 are presented. Peculiarities of the factor effects and their interaction on the formation of the trait of interest were determined. Correlations between quantitative traits and plant performance, depending on hydrothermal growing conditions, were calculated. Varieties that are of greatest value for barley breeding as starting material were identified. The aim and tasks of the study . To evaluate 30 spring barley varieties for performance, plant structure elements and to select the most valuable starting material. Material and methods . The research was conducted in the Laboratory of Barley Breeding and Genetics of the Plant Production Institute named after VYa Yuriev of NAAS. Thirty spring barley varieties of different genetic and geographical origin were taken as the study material. Data were statistically processed by variance, correlation and cluster analyses. Results and discussion . Analysis of variance revealed peculiarities of the factor effects and their interaction on the formation of the traits of interest. The 1000-grain weight was mainly determined by the hydrothermal conditions of a year, while the spike length, grain number per spike, grain weight per spike and grain unit mainly depended on the genotype. The productive tillering capacity and plant performance were determined by interaction of these two factors. Correlation analysis revealed a compensatory effect for the plant performance: under the favorable conditions in2016, a strong correlation was noted between the performance and productive tillering capacity (r = 0.77); a medium correlation - between the performance, grain number per spike and grain weight per spike (r = 0.28 and r = 0.34, respectively). Under the dry conditions in 2013, the correlations changed, namely: it decreased to an insignificant level between the performance and productive tillering capacity (r = 0.18) and increased to strong levels between the performance, grain number per spike and grain weight per spike (r = 0.73 and r = 0.75, respectively). Cluster analysis categorized the investigated varieties into 4 clusters. Cluster 4 comprised varieties of the highest breeding value: Komandor, Mastvinster and Sebastian, combining high productive tillering capacity, grain weight per plant and grain unit. Conclusions. Thus, the study selected varieties Komandor, Mastvinster, Kangoo and Sebastian as the most valuable starting material in terms of plant performance and its individual elements for spring barley breeding

RB036088 - a sugarcane cultivar for mechanical planting and harvesting

Abstract The sugarcane cultivar RB036088 is late-maturing, harvested from September to November in south-central Brazil, and is recommended for soils with medium to high fertility. It stands out with continuously high sugar yield over the harvests, longevity of the ratoon plants, high tillering capacity and can be harvested mechanically.

Strategies for yield determination of bread wheat and two-row barley growing under different environments: A comparative study

Grain yield variations in bread wheat and two-row barley are better explained by changes in grain number (GN) than mean grain weight. However, the strategies for building GN are different in both species because in two-row barley the variations in GN are more frequently related to the number of spikes m−2, due to its higher tillering capacity than wheat, whereas in bread wheat both grain number spike−1 and the number of spikes m−2 contribute to the establishment of GN. The higher tillering capacity and leaf area index at the beginning of the crop cycle in two-row barley allows a higher radiation accumulation than in bread wheat. We hypothesize that the higher early vigor of two-row barley, associated with its greater leaf area exposure relative to wheat, represents an initial advantage that is capitalized at the end of the cycle as higher biomass accumulation driven by a larger GN and consequently higher grain yield. The main objective of this work was to compare different physiological traits of bread wheat and two-row barley growing together under different temperature and radiation conditions. We evaluated two genotypes of each species, with similar phenology, growing under four different environments without water or nutritional deficiencies. Numerical yield components, biomass, radiation interception and harvest index were measured. Despite no differences being observed between genotypes of bread wheat and two-row barley in terms of total grain yield and total grain number when exposed to different environments, each species had a different strategy for establishing the final yield. Although two-row barley showed initial advantages in radiation interception, bread wheat genotypes accumulated more intercepted photosynthetic active radiation (iPAR) and used it in a more efficient way than two-row barley, thus allowing a higher biomass accumulation. Both species showed a reduction in grain weight due to increases in mean night and high temperatures. Grain weight reductions were higher in bread wheat than in two-row barley, and were directly associated with shortening of the duration of grain filling without consequences for the grain-filling rate. This suggested a direct effect of temperature on grain development rather than a growth limitation due to a lack of source.

Rice MDU 6: A high yielding long slender grain variety

A short duration, high yielding, long slender grain rice culture, ACM 01010 was developed from Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, Agricultural College and Research Institute, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Madurai and was released as Rice MDU 6 during 2015. ACM 01010 is a derivative of MDU5/ACM 96136. It has semi dwarf stature (95–105 cm), high tillering capacity, white long slender grain with superior grain quality. It matures in 110–115 days and it is suitable for short duration rice growing areas. This culture recorded a mean grain yield of 6118 kg/ha (9.7 per cent and 10.2 per cent increased yield over the checks, ADT 43 and ADT (R) 45 respectively) in different yield trials including MLTs and ARTs. In ART, this culture registered more than 7000 kg/ha in 29 locations out of 160 locations tested. The culture, ACM 01010, is moderately resistant to leaffolder, stem borer, GLH and WBPH under field conditions. It possesses intermediate amylose content, gelatinization temperature and soft gel consistency. It produces white long slender rice with desirable cooking quality. As raw rice, it is highly suitable for making pongal and variety rice besides it is also suitable for aval (flaked rice) and pori (parched paddy) making.