The Effect of Applications of a Synthetic Cytokinin on Shoot Dominance and Grain Yield in Spring Barley

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Abstract
Spring barley cv Ark Royal was grown in pots in the open, and soil drenches containing 6-benzyl-aminopurine were repeatedly applied during the pre-heading phase starting either ‘early’ when the main shoot apex had reached the glume primordium stage, during tillering, or ‘later’ at the anther primordium stage, at the start of stem elongation Although grain yield was unaffected by the ‘late’ cytokinin treatments, it was increased by up to 57 per cent by the ‘early’ treatments. The increase was due to greater grain yields of the smaller shoots of each plant there was no effect on the yields of the two largest shoots or on the total number of fertile shoots The increased grain yield of these smaller shoots was attributable to increased weights of their individual kernels, especially in the basal and distal parts of the ears such that a greater uniformity of kernel size within the ear was achieved Thus the cytokinin treatment increased uniformity both between shoots and between spikelets within the ears

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