THE INFLUENCE OF FLAG LEAF ON THE POTENTIAL PRODUCTION OF STRAW CEREALS (WHEAT, TRITICALE AND BARLEY)

Abstract

The primary source for production in straw cereals (wheat, triticale and barley) is the accumulation of carbohydrates in the photosynthetic organs, mainly in the leaves. From this point of view, the flag leaf plays a vital role in the development of the grain and therefore it must benefit from protection throughout the growing season. Keeping the flag leaf green is a trait that allows cereals to maintain their photosynthetic capacity for a longer period of time after anthesis, especially under drought and heat stress conditions.
This study presents some partial experimental results from the SCDA Caracal (Dolj County, Romania) regarding the influence of the flag leaf on the potential production of straw cereals (wheat, triticale and barley). Thus, the potential production was greatly influenced by the area of the flag leaf and the ear, both the half-cut flag leaf, the fully cut flag leaf and the ½ cut ear resulted in very significant production reductions. Much more significant was the influence of precocity, regardless of the species and the surface of the flag leaf and ear. Medium early and late cultivars showed very significant increases in potential production compared to early cultivars.