Breeding effects on sensitivity of barley grain weight and quality to events of high temperature during grain filling

Abstract

Temperature is one of the most important factors affecting grain quality in the majority of cereal growing areas. It has been shown that brief periods of high temperature during grain filling can reduce grain weight and quality. However, it is not known whether breeding for increased yields has altered the sensitivity to high temperatures after flowering. Four malting barley cultivars, chosen from previous studies to represent a series of successful breeding releases in Argentina, were sown under field conditions. The high temperature treatments consisted of increasing the spike temperature by about 5 • C for 6 h/day (from 10 am to 4 pm) for 20 days starting nine days after flowering (DAF), or for two periods of 10 days each, between 9 to 19 DAF or from 20 to 29 DAF. In all cultivars, grain weight and screening percentages decreased significantly with the treatments. In general, the two more modern cultivars (Q. Pampa and Q. Ayelén) were more sensitive to heat stress than the older ones (Heda and Unión). A similar pattern was found for malt extract. Thus it appears that breeding for higher yields has concomitantly increased sensitivity of grain weight (and yield) and quality to the episodes of high temperatures during the grain-filling period in barley.

Post-anthesis warm nights reduce grain weight in field-grown wheat and barley

“…1% per • C of mean temperature increase in single plants grown under controlled conditions. This lower sensitivity compared to our study could be associated with the later time of heating imposition (from 20 days after DC65), or to genotypic differences found in barley (Passarella et al, 2005;Hakala et al, 2012). Both aspects, a lower grain weight loss when heating treatment was applied late during grain filling and genotypic differences, were also observed in wheat by Lizana and Calderini (2013) under field conditions where the mean temperature increase was mainly achieved by night heating.…”

Characterization and genetic variability of barley accessions (Hordeum vulgareL.) irrigated in the savannas based on malting quality traits

“… and Verma and Sarkar . The barley malting quality is extremely complex and is controlled by several genes, being strongly influenced by the environment , mainly by the high air temperatures and water deficit during the grain filling . In the savanna, Amabile et al .…”

“…The instability shown in the protein content indicated by Eagles et al . is triggered by the amount of applied nitrogen, as well as water stress and other environmental factors imposed on the genotype , as well as the response of each genotype to these influences. The result is large oscillations in the grain protein content, going from very low numbers (around 7–8%) up to extreme numbers (>12%) – where the maximum level was established as 12% by Brasil .…”

Evaluation and Use of Genetic Resources in Spring Malting Barley Breeding in Lithuania

“…The weather conditions (humidity and temperature) over the grain filling period affect the output (Paynter and Young, 2004;Passarella et al, 2005). Grain protein content is important in the brewing process as it affects beer quality, and hence this parameter is on the list of breeders considerations.…”

“…In Lithuania air temperature significantly varies among years for summer months starting from the seventh decade, and every second or third summer is much colder or much hotter than the long-term mean (Bukantis, 2001). The weather conditions during the growing period are among the main factors of affecting malting barley yield and especially grain and malt quality (Passarella et al, 2005). Mathematical models used for analysis of varietal grain yield stability (Tarakanovas, 2004) allow us to estimate genotype and environment interactions and to select the most valuable varieties and breeding lines.…”