Relationships between photosynthetic area and other growth attributes with grain yield in 6- and 2-row barley genotypes

Six-row and 2-row barley genotypes were grown as individually spaced plants in the field, and estimates of area of green tissue and other characters were obtained at ear emergence and maturity. Positive correlations (P<0.01) were found within both 6- and 2-row types between grain dry wt per main culm and grain number, mean date of ear emergence, area of green tissue above the flag-leaf node, and dry wt of the third leaf below the ear (F-2 leaf). This supports the hypothesis that the magnitude of assimilate supply prior to anthesis is a very important determinant of grain yield in barley, and the possible use of the F-2 leaf as a criterion for selection of genotypes with a large photosynthetic capacity and grain yield is discussed.