The Korean Journal of Crop Science ISSN:0252-9777(Print) 2287-8432(Online) 한국작물학회지

This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of high temperature on the stem, leaf and grain of barley during the ripening period and to provide information for the development of high-temperature cultivation techniques and adaptive varieties. We used an artificial climate control facility, to provide a temperature 3℃ higher than the normal average temperature during the ripening stage. Although the maximum rate of starch synthesis was increased at high temperature by approximately 11%, the starch content was decreased, because the period of starch synthesis ended 4 days earlier. As in the case of starch synthesis, the expression of genes related to starch synthesis was increased at the early ripening stage in the high temperature treatment, however, the duration of expression tended to decrease rapidly. Furthermore, the partitioning rate of assimilation products in the panicle increased to a greater extent in the high temperature treatment than in the control. In contrast, for the stem and leaf, the partitioning rate of assimilation products decreased more rapidly in the high temperature treatment than in the control. On the basis of these results, it can be considered that the translocation rate of assimilation products increased to a greater extent in the high temperature treatment than in the control at the early ripening stage. These results indicate that the decrease in grain weight at high temperature during the ripening stage is attributable to an increase in the speed of starch synthesis at high temperature, but the increase in ripening speed does not compensate for the shortening of the ripening period. Finally to develop varieties and cultivation techniques suited to high temperature, we need to focus on physiological characteristics related to the duration of starch synthesis.