Evaluation of Post Harvest Dormancy of Cereal Cultivars (2009)

Abstract

This report evaluates the post harvest dormancy of cereal cultivars. Post harvest dormancy can be an indicator of the potential of cultivar to produce volunteer plants in the succeeding crop. Seed produced by the off-station barley variety trials were evaluated for post harvest dormancy. Two replications of seed from each site tested. The germinations were conducted in late November. September is the preferred time to do the post harvest dormancy. However, harvesting and harvest sample processing were still in process. The barley seed was not in good condition. Only the live seed were used in making percent germination calculations. The germination rate was a quicker for the Denton produced seed than the seed produced at CARC. Differences of 10 % to 20% in percent germination that has occurred after 96 hours may seem trivial. However, it appears to have significant effect in the field. The tendency of Hector barley to produce volunteer plants and for Clark barley to not volunteer was widely observed in the 1980s. Yet in fall germination trials, their 96 hour germination might differ by only 10% to 30%.