Shoot apex development date of anthesis and grain yield of autumn-sown spring and winter barley hordeum-vulgare after different sowing times

One spring and eight winter barley cultivars were sown at intervals from the middle of September (normal) until the end of October (late). The apical meristem of the spring cultivar had developed furthest until the onset of winter. It had started ear differentiation after normal sowing. Among the winter cultivars, five were after all sowing times completely vegetative, three cultivars had started ear differentiation after the first sowing time. Presumably, these latter ones are of the alternative types. Until the end of winter all cultivars had started ear differentiation after the earlier sowing dates. There were no clear differences between spring and winter cultivars any more. Within one sowing time there was no relation between the developmental succession of the cultivars at the end of winter and their date of anthesis. Grain yield was the lower the later the sowing time. Six-rowed cultivars had the relative higher yields after normal sowing, but gave after late sowing less yield than the two-rowed cultivars.