Cross-section of a barley flower, Dr Laura Wilkinson, University of Adelaide

“Taken together, we discovered novel roles for this gene in the control of floret and grain development, both key agronomic traits in one of the world’s most economically, sociologically and ecologically relevant crops.”

The productivity of cereal crops could get a boost in the future thanks to the discovery of new roles for a master gene regulator that influences the development of barley florets, furthering the understanding of grain development including impacts on grain shape and yield.

A new study from the University of Dundee and the James Hutton Institute, working with partners in the UK and Australia, has shown that a gene encoding a protein called HvAPETALA2 (HvAP2) has a role in the development of florets and grain.

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This article was originally posted by The James Hutton Institute