Assessment of the relationship between productivity traits of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) and geometrical parameters of grains

The aim of the study is to identify the nature and strength of the relationship between the productivity traits of spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) samples with the geometric parameters of grains in the conditions of the Northern TransUrals. The field study was carried out in 2022 at the experimental site of the Lake Kuchak biostation (Nizhnetavdinsky District, Tyumen Region) on sodpodzolic sandy loam soil (humus 3.67 %, pH 6.6). Eight samples of different ecological and geographical origin, belonging to 6 varieties, were studied. The dynamics of changes in chlorophyll in the flag leaf during the growing season was determined using SPAD 502 Plus on 10 plants of each sample. During the heading phase, the plant height and linear parameters of the flag leaf were measured, and the area was calculated. In laboratory conditions in 2023, the geometric parameters of the grains (100 pcs. of each sample) were measured, the volume, external surface area, sphericity, and the ratio of the volume to the external surface area were calculated. According to the height of the plants, the samples were divided into groups: mediumsized, mediumtall, tall; lodging resistance was mainly high and average. The studied samples were characterized by similar dynamics of chlorophyll accumulation in the leaves before the heading phase of plants. Differences in the rate of pigment degradation made it possible to identify 4 samples with a longer leaf life. In terms of the flag leaf area, most samples did not show significant differences from the standards. Ethiopian accessions were at the level of standards or inferior to them in productivity elements. The protein content in the grain met the requirements of feed barley. Accessions from Ethiopia were inferior to the standards in terms of grain width and thickness, but exceeded them in length. Most accessions had close values in terms of 1000kernel weight, grain sphericity, external surface area, and volumetoexternalsurfacearea ratio. A correlation was established between the width, thickness, volume, specific grain surface, external surface area and the length, width, and area of the flag leaf (r = 0.31–0.81), chlorophyll content (r = 0.40–0.84), 1000kernel weight (r = 0.56–0.75), and lodging resistance (r = 0.47–0.88).