Phenological development in two-row spring barley when grown in a long-day (Alberta, Canada) and a short-day (Western Australia, Australia) environment

Phenological development in eight cultivars of two-row, spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) was examined when sown at two dates of seeding in two diverse environments. These environments were a short-day environment at Northam, Western Australia, Australia, in 1997 and a long-day environment at Lacombe, Alberta, Canada, in 1998. The Australian and Canadian barley cultivars used had different combinations of basic vegetative phase and daylength sensitivity. Barley grown at Lacombe reached each stage of phenological development in less time than at Northam. Most noticeable was a shorter duration of the period between seedling emergence to double ridge and between double ridge and awn emergence. At Northam, nearly 20% of the barley’s life cycle was spent on vegetative growth, just over 40% on ear/stem growth and close to 40% on grain filling. At Lacombe, barley spent nearly 55% of its life cycle filling grain and only 10% on vegetative growth and 35% on ear/stem growth. Later seeding accelerated all stages of development at Northam but only those stages until awn emergence at Lacombe. Late-sown barley at Lacombe took longer to reach physiological maturity. The relative contribution of each phase of crop growth was unaffected by date of seeding. Based on the time to awn emergence, Franklin was a very late flowering cultivar in both environments; Fitzgerald, Gairdner and Manley were late flowering; AC Oxbow and Harrington were mid-flowering; and Stirling was early flowering. Skiff was late flowering at North am but early flowering at Lacombe. Key words: barley (spring), phenological development, daylength sensitivity, basic vegetative phase