Raw data: Spikelet stop determines the maximum yield potential stage in barley

Determining the grain yield potential contributed by grain number is a step towards advancing cereal crops' yield. To achieve this aim, it is pivotal to recognize the maximum yield potential (MYP) of the crop. In barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), the MYP is defined as the maximum spikelet primordia number of a spike. Previous barley studies often assumed the awn primordium (AP) stage as the MYP stage regardless of genotypes and growth conditions. From our spikelet-tracking experiments using the two-rowed cultivar Bowman, we found that the MYP stage can be different from the AP stage. Importantly, we find that the occurrence of inflorescence meristem (IM) deformation and its loss of activity coincided with the MYP stage, indicating the end of further spikelet initiation. Thus, we recommend validating the barley MYP stage with the IM's shape and propose this approach (named Spikelet Stop) for MYP staging. Following this approach, we compared the MYP stage and the MYP in 27 two- and six-rowed b...