THE COMPETITIVE INTERACTION BETWEEN BARLEY PLANTS GROWN FROM LARGE AND SMALL SEEDS

Abstract

The competitive effect on yield of plants grown from large and small seeds was demonstrated in both greenhouse and field tests. Plants from small seeds yielded approximately 77 per cent of those grown from large seeds in the greenhouse and 57 per cent in the field with inter-plant competition; with inter-row competition the percentages were 70 and 54 respectively; and, with no competition, 89 and 83 per cent respectively. It was further shown that increased competition favoured plants from large seeds. Superior production resulted mainly from a greater number of heads on plants grown from large seeds.Suggestions are made as to how problems arising from this source of non-genetic variation could be overcome in various stages of selection.