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Effects of inter-varietal diversity, biotic stresses and environmental productivity on grain yield of spring barley variety mixtures

Kiær, Lars P.; Skovgaard, Ib M. and Østergård, Hanne (2012) Effects of inter-varietal diversity, biotic stresses and environmental productivity on grain yield of spring barley variety mixtures. Euphytica, 185 (1), pp. 123-138.

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Summary

Varietal seed mixtures tend to increase and stabilize crop yields, yet their application is sparse. Large-scale cultivation of variety mixtures may require a better understanding of how inter-varietal interactions and their interaction with the environment may influence the grain yield of variety mixtures relative to their component varieties. For this purpose, six variety mixtures of spring barley and 14 component varieties were grown in each of 17 trial environments. A total of 28 observed and a priori plant characteristics, including grain yield, disease severity and weed competitiveness, were derived for each component variety in each trial. The relationship between inter-varietal diversity of each characteristic and the mixing effect on grain yield was analysed. Additionally, various types of yield stability were estimated and compared among mixtures and component varieties. One mixture out-yielded all of its component varieties in almost half of the trial environments. Inter-varietal diversity in grain yield potential correlated significantly with mixing effect, as did straw length diversity when weighted with weed pressure. The grain yields of most mixtures were more stable across environments than their component varieties when accounting also for the general response to environmental productivity. Hence, most mixtures adapted slightly better to environmental productivity and were less sensitive to environmental stress than their component varieties. We conclude that the efficacy of variety mixtures may be enhanced by mixing relatively high-yielding varieties differing in responsiveness to environmental productivity.


EPrint Type:Journal paper
Subjects: Crop husbandry > Crop combinations and interactions
Research affiliation: Denmark > DARCOF II (2000-2005) > VI.2 (BAR_OF) Characteristics of spring barley varieties for organic farming
Denmark > KU - University of Copenhagen
Denmark > DTU - Technical University of Denmark > DTU, RISØ - Risø National Laboratory
Denmark > SOAR - Research School for Organic Agriculture and Food Systems
ISSN:0014-2336
DOI:10.1007/s10681-012-0640-1
Deposited By: Kiær, Lars Pødenphant
ID Code:21001
Deposited On:16 Jul 2012 13:32
Last Modified:16 Jul 2012 13:32
Document Language:English
Status:Published
Refereed:Peer-reviewed and accepted

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