Variation in NDVI values and relationship with grain yield in two-rowed winter barley

The simple methods used for indirect biomass determination are recognized as potentially important tools for crop growth prediction. The normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) is widely used for assessing crop biomass, yield, photosynthesis, and nitrogen management. Aims of this study were to determine the variation in NDVI values and relationship of the NDVI with the most significant agronomic properties in the elite genotypes of two-rowed winter barley. The experiment included elite two-rowed winter barley genotypes and was carried out in two growing seasons. NDVI were measured at mid-anthesis, while grain yield and grain yield components were determined from combine harvested samples at maturity. Results from this study showed that the influence of genotype was mainly responsible for variation in most studied traits. Grain yield of two-rowed barley cultivars was more related to high grain number per unit area than to grain weight. NDVI values at anthesis in both growing seasons were positively associated with grain yield (R2 = 0.444 and R2 = 0.386), grain number (R2 = 0.387 and R2 = 0.507) and plant height (R2 = 0.352 and R2 = 0.364), while relationship with grain weight was not significant. Significant genotypic variation for NDVI values and the presence of significant positive relationship with grain yield and grain number indicated that NDVI measurement at anthesis could be efficiently used for indirect identification of productive two-rowed winter barley genotypes.