The awn,developing as a long slender extension of the lemma,is a reduced leaf and the product of long-term adaptation to the environment and evolution.Barley awn is rich in phenotypic variation,which plays an important role in grain filling and yield formation,and is one of the main targets for further improving barley yield.In this paper,we reviewed the research progress in the morphology,structure,function and genetic regulation mechanism of barley awn,discussed the positive and negative effects of barley awn on increasing barley yield,and put forward the difficulties that still need to be solved and the key points that need to be paid attention to in the study of barley awn photosynthesis,so as to provide a useful reference for the selection of barley awn types in the breeding process of barley varieties and the breeding of high-yield barley varieties.