The good yield and apparent quality of wheat and two-rowed barley and its related factors in northern Kyushu in 1999

The superb weather during growing period produced a high yield and a high q uality of wheat and two-rowed barley in northern Kyushu in 1999. The crop s ituation index and the average yield in Fukuoka Prefecture were 132 and 447 g/m(2) for wheat and 118 and 398 g/m(2) for two-rowed barley, respectively , the second highest since 1945. Furthermore, the inspection grade became h igher because of the increase of well-developed grains. Wheat's high yield was caused by an increase in the number of ears and 1,000-grain weight in r esponse to a low precipitation during the growing period and sufficient sun shine hours during the ripening period. Two-rowed barley's high yield was c aused by a increase in the number of ears and well-developed grains in resp onse to sufficient sunshine hours during the ripening period. The yield and apparent quality of wheat were improved by a reduction of the first top dr essing of nitrogen at the tillering stage and a thin sowing in early sowing culture in abnormally warm and dry weather. In terms of cultivar, the good yield was caused by a wide diffusion of the high yielding and quality whea t cultivar Chikugoizumi.