Fourteen wheat (Triticum aestivumL.) genotypes differing in the timing
of apex development were grown in drained and undrained treatments on
soil prone to waterlogging. A watertable was present in the undrained
treatment but not in the drained treatment. The sensitive stage of ap
ex development in the early maturing genotypes would have taken place
under waterlogged conditions, but the watertable would have receded be
fore apex development in the later maturing genotypes. There was a sig
nificant interaction between the drainage treatment and genotype in th
at the earlier maturing genotpyes yielded much less on the undrained t
reatment than did the later maturing genotypes which had similar yield
s on both treatments. Much of the yield reduction was associated with
decreased grain number per ear.