Analysing the contribution of component cultivars and cultivar combinations to malting quality, yield and disease in complex mixtures

Newton, A. C.; Hackett, Christine A.; Swanston, J. S.

doi:10.1002/jsfa.3326

Cited by 17 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 27 publications

(43 reference statements)

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“…The benefits of cultivar/varietal mixtures for increasing yield and reducing yield variability are small but consistent (Reiss & Drinkwater, ). Most mixture studies have focussed only on yield and have not considered the mechanisms which deliver the benefits; the main exception has been studies looking at reduced disease transmission (Newton et al ., ). The results from this study show that benefits could, in part, derive from the impact of the diversified crop on the weed community.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Increased crop diversity reduces the functional space available for weeds

et al. 2019

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Summary There is a drive to improve the sustainability of agricultural systems including the biodiversity component. Cultivar mixtures offer yield benefits from the same land area, but the mechanisms behind this overyielding have not been completely worked out. One potential mechanism is improved competition with weeds. We use an experimental approach of varying barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) genotypic and phenotypic diversity to test the hypothesis that increases in diversity have an impact on weed growth strategies and community assembly, or if responses are driven by barley performance. There was no effect of increasing barley mixture diversity on weed traits, either in terms of species means or the community‐weighted mean. However, Functional Richness of the weed community decreased with increasing barley mixture diversity mainly as a result of reduced specific leaf area Functional Richness. This pattern was driven by a reduction in species richness of the weed community rather than by reduced variation within species. Whilst barley phenotype had different impacts on weed traits, there were no specific mixtures of phenotypes or genotypes that had consistent effects on community assembly or weed species responses. The competitive exclusion of weed species could have agronomic and environmental benefits, through better targeting or less frequent use of herbicides. Growing crop mixtures is one of many strategies available to improve agricultural sustainability and resilience, and one that has clear benefits.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Increased crop diversity reduces the functional space available for weeds

et al. 2019

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“…This contrasts with several studies on cereals showing a trend towards greater yields with more varieties in the mixture, largely because of superior disease control (Newton et al . ; Newton, Hackett & Swanston ). However, modern cereal varieties are more genetically and phenotypically similar than A. thaliana accessions and therefore vary less in competitive ability.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of disease on diversity and productivity of plant populations

2015

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Summary Experiments were conducted on the role of intra‐ and inter‐genotypic competition in ecological processes operating at the population scale in diseased plant populations.Combinations of Arabidopsis thaliana genotypes showing variation for phenotypic traits relating to competitive ability and pathogen compatibility were infected with the oomycete Hyaloperonospora arabidopsidis and Turnip yellows virus in separate experiments. Plant fitness and competitive ability were estimated from phenotypic measurements.Pathogen‐induced reduction in competitive ability for susceptible genotypes increased the competitive ability of resistant genotypes, resulting in maintenance of yield via competitive release. The two diseases had different effects on competitive interactions between plants. In experiments involving the oomycete, the highest yields were produced by mixtures of two weakly competing genotypes.The Arabidopsis model system has elucidated the ecological processes by which compensatory competitive interactions can increase the buffering capacity of plant populations under pathogen attack. Highly competitive genotypes may not maximize the productivity of the population as a whole, as they may over‐yield at the expense of less competitive, more productive genotypes. The specific outcomes of competitive interactions cannot be generalized because they depend on the disease and the host genotypes.

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“…From each plot, samples of 30 g were malted, using the SCRI purpose-built malting apparatus (Swanston 1997). The regime comprised three steeps of 8, 12 and 4 h, separated by air rests of 10 and 6 h, respectively, followed by 104 h of germination, all at 16°C (Newton et al 2008). The malt samples were then kilned at 60°C for 24 h to reduce moisture content to around 5%.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A model of the genetic differences in malting quality between European and North American barley cultivars based on a QTL study of the cross Triumph × Morex

et al. 2010

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To study the genetic control of malting quality, in North American and European barley varieties, over five contrasting environments, 106 doubled haploid (DH) lines, from the cross ÔTriumphÕ · ÔMorexÕ, were grown at Pullman (Washington State, USA) in 2002, Dundee (Scotland) in 2003 and 2005 and Lleida and Valladolid (Northern Spain) in 2006. The vrs locus, associated with two-row vs. six-row ear type, had a significant effect, as two-row lines had higher grain protein content at all sites. This had variable effects on other malting parameters, but hot water extract (EXT) was not significantly affected at the two Spanish sites. Quantitative trait loci associated with malting characters were distributed across all seven chromosomes, but the most influential, with effects on EXT and alcohol yield, at more than one site, were on 1H, with ÔMorexÕ providing the increasing allele and 5H, with the increasing allele from ÔTriumphÕ. Transgressive segregation, in both directions, occurred at all sites. It was concluded that crosses between European and North American germplasm could enhance quality attributes in barley cultivated across diverse environments.

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Analysing the contribution of component cultivars and cultivar combinations to malting quality, yield and disease in complex mixtures

Cited by 17 publications

References 27 publications

Increased crop diversity reduces the functional space available for weeds

Increased crop diversity reduces the functional space available for weeds

Impact of disease on diversity and productivity of plant populations

A model of the genetic differences in malting quality between European and North American barley cultivars based on a QTL study of the cross Triumph × Morex

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