Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) genotypes from countries with a Mediterran
ean climate were grown in temperature-controlled glasshouses in nutrie
nt solution to determine whether the co-ordination of root branching a
nd growth found by other workers applied to a wider range of up to 14
genotypes. There was substantial variation in the number of seminal ax
es produced by the genotypes, ranging from about seven for Hoshimasari
and Swanneck to about four for Gerbel 'B'. The number of nodal axes w
as linearly related to the number of leaves and typically between one
and two mainstem leaves were required before nodal axes appeared. Ther
e were small genotypic differences in the number of axes produced per
leaf with values ranging from 1.5 to 2.3. The production and growth of
lateral roots were coordinated so that the mean length of laterals ge
nerally increased with time. Landraces (Arabic abiad and Arabic aswad)
produced more lateral roots with a faster rate of extension compared
with other genotypes. The length and number of primary and secondary l
ateral roots were related linearly, but no genotypic differences in th
is relation were evident. Length of primary lateral roots increased mo
re rapidly than that of secondary lateral roots throughout the three t
o five leaf stage. The ratio of root weight to total plant weight decr
eased with time but there were only small differences within this rang
e of genotypes.