Growth and Development of Wild Oat and Dual‐Purpose Barley Seedlings

Abstract

Wild oat (Avena fatua L.) and dual‐purpose barley (Hordeum spontaneum L.) are native species that grow in many parts of Jordan. We compared seedling growth and development of wild oat and dual‐purpose barley in pots under field conditions. The seedling fresh root volume (cm3), root oven‐dry weight (g), shoot oven‐dry weight (g) and dry root weight to dry shoot weight ratio of both species were evaluated at ages 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100 days after emergence (DAE). Seedlings of the two species at 20 and 40 DAE had similar fresh root volumes and weights. At 60 DAE, the root volumes of barley and oat increased to 2‐ and 3‐fold the volumes at 40 DAE, respectively. By 80 DAE, root volume had increased to 13.6 and 10.2 cm3 for wild oat and dual‐purpose barley, respectively. At 100 DAE, the root weight of dual‐purpose barley significantly (P ≤ 0.01) decreased to 1.1 g, whereas wild oat root weight did not change significantly. Wild oat showed a slightly higher root/shoot ratio at 20 DAE than dual‐purpose barley (0.88 for wild oat compared to 0.70 for dual‐purpose barley). At 60 and 80 DAE, both species showed a reduction in root/shoot ratio, and this reduction increased at 100 DAE (0.46 and 0.33 for wild oat and dual‐purpose barley, respectively). Our data indicate that the growth and development of the two grass species follow similar patterns.

Plant growth and phenolic compounds in the rhizosphere soil of wild oat (Avena fatua L.)

“…Furthermore, the wild oat reached maximum root DM at the reproductive stage, and then declined to a minimum at the end of the growing season. Similar results were reported by El-Shatnawi and Makhadmeh ( 2002 ) in wild oat plants grown in pots. As reported by Barbour et al ( 1998 ), the relative productivity and biomass of roots have an important adaptive significance in plants growing under arid and semi-arid conditions for the root physiological functions of absorption and translocation of water and nutrients, and synthesis of hormones and many other essential organic compounds.…”