Duration of the stem elongation period influences the number of fertile florets in wheat and barley

Yield increases in temperate cereals have been associated with increases in grain number. An experiment was conducted to investigate whether altering the duration of the stem elongation period in wheat and barley increases floret fertility and thereby grain number. A photoperiod- responsive spring wheat (UQ189) and spring barley (Arapiles) were grown in a naturally lit phytotron. Plants were grown at constant (9, 13 and 19 h) and reciprocally interchanged photoperiod [at terminal spikelet (TS, wheat) or triple mound (TM, barley)] to alter the duration of the stem elongation period. An increased duration of the late reproductive phase from TS to heading in wheat resulted in more fertile florets per spike. A similar relationship was observed in barley but only for a limited range of duration of the stem elongation period. Shorter photoperiods reduced the rate of floret development and extended the time to reach the fertile floret stage. The fact that the duration of the late reproductive phase during which the spike and stem competing for assimilates was associated with the number of fertile florets per spike suggests that extending the stem elongation period in cereals could be a way to reduce assimilate competition and thereby increase the number of fertile florets and grain yield.