Development of hybrid barley for the Midwest

A. E. Foster

Abstract
Barley is a highly self-fertilized crop. The ability to be highly cross fertile must be incorporated into the barley plant before production of hybrid seed in the Midwest is economically feasible. Characteristics conducive to cross fertilization are (1) emergence of the head from the top leaf at flowering time, (2) flower opening at the time of pollen shedding, (3) hairiness of the stigma, and (4) ability of the female flower to open and be receptive to pollination. Other problems to be overcome involve selection of parents which will produce high yields of a malting type barley and which have resistance to flower-infecting diseases.