Barley Production Research Articles

Family farm and family business: Distinction and transition between concepts

Objective: Explore the conceptual limits between the family farming unit and the agricultural family business to identify the elements that determine the transition from one figure to another. Methodology: The distinctive elements between both concepts were determined from the most relevant definitions reported in the literature. Subsequently, the transition from a family farming unit to an agricultural family business was illustrated based on the case study of an enterprise dedicated to the production and collection of barley in Hidalgo, Mexico. Results: Seven distinctive elements were identified between the family farming unit and the agricultural family business. Two elements (the scale of production and productive diversification) drive the transition, three are modified consequently (the source of labor, the priority destination of productive activity, and the strength of the link with agricultural land), and the remaining two are carried out infrequently (assignment of a non-family member as main head and disengagement of family members from community life). Limitations: The findings of the study lack statistical representativeness as they come from a case study. Conclusions: The seven distinctive elements between a family farming unit and an agricultural family business can be used to study the phenomenon of entrepreneurship around agriculture and to typify agricultural units to design differentiated strategies for political intervention.

Regulation of Physiological and Biochemical Mechanisms Related to Water Stress Tolerance in Barley and Improvement of Growth and Productivity Using Salicylic Acid and Chitosan

The present investigation aimed to assess the impacts of three Salicylic Acid (SA) concentrations (T2=100, T3=200, T4=300ppm), three Chitosan concentrations (T5=150, T6=225, T7=300ppm) and T8= Salicylic Acid (100 ppm) with Chitosan (150 ppm) mixture in comparison to control treatment (T1) on two barley cultivars Giza126 and Giza 134 under rainfed conditions. Some vegetative and yield traits were recorded, plant height, spike length, number of gains spike-1, number of spikes/m2, 1000 grain weight, biological and grain yield. A split plot design was performed with three replications. The field experiment was conducted in the northern west coast region of Egypt (Marsa Matruh government) under the rainfed condi­tions during 2019/2020 and 2020/2021 growing seasons. The results showed a direct relationship between increased foliar application and increased yield attributes. Results indicated that Giza 126 cultivar as affected by T4 showed the most desirable values for grains spikes-1 in first season, spikes/m2, biological yield and grain yield during the first and second seasons respectively. In addition, barley cultivar Giza 126 as affected by T3 showed the highest values for grains spikes-1 in second season. On the other hand, barley cultivar Giza 134 as affected by T4 showed the highest values for plant height, spike length and 1000-grain weight in first and second seasons respectively. From results, it can be concluded that the Salicylic Acid (SA) concentration 300 ppm is recommendable for improving the productivity of barley under rainfed conditions of Egypt. To study the potential role of SA and Chitosan on water stress tolerance mechanisms some biochemical and physiological parameters were recorded. Application of SA and Chitosan decreased significantly Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) measuring by determined the concentrations of MDA and H2O2 especially SA with concentrations 300 ppm (T4). For osmolytes (proline, SSC and SPC), all treatments using SA and Chitosan induced significant increase in osmolytes content compared with control under water stress only in the two studied barley genotypes, except for treatment with Chitosan 225 and 300 ppm in Giza 126 for proline content. Similar results were recorded for antioxidant enzymes activity (CAT, POX and PPO) which showed up-regulation for all treatments compared with control under water stress for the two studied genotypes. On contrast, APX antioxidant enzyme recorded the highest activity in control treatment under water stress only. In general, for all studied treatments comparing with control, application of SA300 ppm and the mixture between SA100 and Chitosan150 ppm were the best treatment for induction of up and down regulation of biochemical and physiological component in the barley cells which is known as defense system against water stress damage.

Intensity of Adoption of Improved Malt Barley Production Technologies in Ethiopia: A Case Study in Oromia Region

Improved malt barley production technology packages are not yet widely adopted in Ethiopia. Stakeholders, including brewers, malt factories, research institutes, and farmer-based organizations, have been collaborating and promoting new malt barley production technologies in order to boost the intensity of acceptance. The aim of this study was to find out the intensity of improved malt barley production technologies adoption in Arsi zones, Oromia region, Ethiopia. A stratified random sampling approach with multiple stages was employed to collect primary data from 384 malt barley household heads. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, and the intensity of adoption of improved malt barley production technologies was determined using an econometric Tobit regression model. The findings specified that the most adopted improved malt barley variety was Traveler (47.92%), which was followed in descending order by Iboni (14.58%), Sabini (9.38%), Grace (5.47%), Holker (4.43%), and 18.23% unnamed varieties. The Tobit model result also depicted that the intensity to which improved malt barley varieties adopted were affected by, taking into account factors including contract farming involvement, cooperative membership, off-farm income, size of livestock holdings, access to training, and mobile ownership. Enhancing farmers’ knowledge of the advantages of contract farming, income diversification, and mobile phone-based information delivery are among the many ways to support access to and accelerate the adoption of improved malt barley technology in the research area and beyond.

Значение предшественников и минерального питания в формировании урожайности и качества ярового ячменя в Пермском крае

Abstract. The purpose is to evaluate the influence of previous culture and mineral nutrition on the yield and quality of grain and seeds of spring barley in the conditions of the Middle Urals. Methods. The research was conducted at the Perm Agricultural Research Institute (a branch of the Perm Federal Research Center of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences) over the period 2021–2023 on sod-podzolic heavy loam soil. A two-factor field experiment with different previous culture and mineral nutrition backgrounds was carried out. Data were processed using B. A. Dospekhov’s methods, and grain quality was determined using standard techniques. Results. The limiting factor affecting plant growth and productivity is soil moisture, which influences both the size and quality of crops. Studies have shown that the soil under vetch-oat mixtures had the highest level of productive moisture at the start of the growing season. However, by the end of the season, the highest level was found under clover. During the research period, the most significant decrease in soil moisture was observed after barley, possibly due to the smaller surface area covered by this crop. The study of barley seed germination showed that they met the required standards. Seeds grown after vetch-oat had the best germination rate (95 %), while those preceding barley had the worst (92 %). This suggests that choosing the right precursor and providing optimal nutrition can lead to increased yield and improved grain quality. The yield of barley can vary widely, ranging from 1.06 to 3.77 tons per hectare. The study results show that using vetch-oat as a precursor can provide the best indicators for barley yield and quality. The optimal combination of precursor and mineral nutrient background can significantly improve the efficiency of barley production in agriculture. Scientific novelty: The complex effect of fertilizers and precursor substances on the formation of barley productivity and quality is being studied in the Perm region for the first time. The methods of barley management and quality control studied allow for obtaining highly productive seeds and achieving the planned yield.

Optimizing inorganic blended fertilizer application for the maximum grain yield and profitability of bread wheat and food barley in Dawuro Zone, Southwest Ethiopia

Abstract In a specific area, fertilizer application for a crop depends on the soil type and profitability. Optimizing chemical fertilizer utilization in crop production is crucial from an environmental and economic point of view. However, there is limited information available on the optimum NPSB fertilizer rate for the production of wheat and barley in the study area. Thus, the study aimed to establish area-specific NPSB (18.9% N, 16.44% P, 6.95% S, and 0.1% B) blended fertilizer rate recommendations for the optimal grain yield and profitability of wheat and barley. The field experiment was conducted in two locations in the 2021 and 2022 cropping seasons using a randomized complete block design with three replications. The nine treatments included 0, 25, 50, 75, 100, 125, 150, 175, and 200 kg ha−1 NPSB fertilizer rates. Growth, yield, and yield component data in wheat and barley were collected from randomly selected individual plants and the net plot area. An economic analysis was conducted for grain yield using the procedure established by the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center. The analysis of variance results showed that blended fertilizer significantly (p < 0.01) affected plant height, number of productive tillers, spike length, number of kernels, thousand seed weight, biomass yield, grain yield, and harvest index traits. The application of a 150 kg ha−1 NPSB rate produced the highest grain yield (5419.0 kg ha−1) in wheat, whereas the application of a 125 kg ha−1 NPSB rate gave the maximum grain yield (4708.0 kg ha−1) in food barley. The economic analysis revealed that the application of a 150 kg ha−1 NPSB fertilizer rate for wheat gave the highest net benefits (309711.50 ETB ha−1) and marginal rate of return (MRR) (4096.96%), while the application of a 125 kg ha−1 NPSB fertilizer rate for barley obtained the highest net benefits (184424.00 ETB ha−1) and MRR (2195.39%). Therefore, to optimize the productivity and profitability of wheat and barley in the study area and similar agroecologies, farmers are recommended to use 150 kg ha⁻¹ NPSB for wheat and 125 kg ha⁻¹ NPSB for barley.

A comparison of environmental impacts of three contrasting cropping systems for barley production under Mediterranean conditions

Agriculture is a key contributor to environmental degradation and to global change. Consequently, the design of sustainable agricultural systems and the assessment of their relevance is a major priority for European agriculture. Different cropping systems, with variable objectives and constraints, can be used in cereal production in Spain. This study focused in comparing three winter barley cropping systems, ranging from intensive no-till to organic approaches. To assess the environmental impacts of each system, a Life Cycle Assessment was conducted. The findings indicate that the impacts varied depending on the chosen functional unit. When land area was considered the functional unit, the lowest impacts were obtained in the organic system, while the no-till system showed the highest. This difference was primarily attributed to variations in N fertilization. Nitrogen use had a significant impact across various categories, primarily due to the energy demands for its production and transportation, as well as the emissions of NH3 and N2O. However, when evaluating agricultural goods production as the functional unit, the organic system exhibited the highest impacts in terms of energy demand, freshwater ecotoxicity and freshwater eutrophication. These differences are explained by the loss of production in the fallow year and the low yields of the legume crop. The middle-way option provided the lowest impacts when economic net revenues were considered. The main reason for this was its higher total revenues associated to high crop production and EU subsidies.

Yellow Dwarf Virus Resistance in Barley: Phenotyping, Remote Imagery, and Virus-Vector Characterization.

Yellow dwarf viruses (YDVs) spread by aphids are some of the most economically important barley (Hordeum vulgare) virus-vector complexes worldwide. Detection and control of these viruses are critical components in the production of barley, wheat, and numerous other grasses of agricultural importance. Genetic control of plant diseases is often preferable to chemical control to reduce the environmental and economic cost of foliar insecticides. Accordingly, the objectives of this work were to (i) screen a barley population for resistance to YDVs under natural infection using phenotypic assessment of disease symptoms, (ii) implement drone imagery to further assess resistance and test its utility as a disease screening tool, (iii) identify the prevailing virus and vector types in the experimental environment, and (iv) perform a genome-wide association study to identify genomic regions associated with measured traits. Significant genetic differences were found in a population of 192 barley inbred lines regarding their YDV symptom severity, and symptoms were moderately to highly correlated with grain yield. The YDV severity measured with aerial imaging was highly correlated with on-the-ground estimates (r = 0.65). Three aphid species vectoring three YDV species were identified with no apparent genotypic influence on their distribution. A quantitative trait locus impacting YDV resistance was detected on chromosome 2H, albeit undetected using aerial imaging. However, quantitative trait loci for canopy cover and mean normalized difference vegetation index were successfully mapped using the drone. This work provides a framework for utilizing drone imagery in future resistance breeding efforts for YDVs in cereals and grasses, as well as in other virus-vector disease complexes.

Genome-wide association scan reveals the reinforcing effect of nano-potassium in improving the yield and quality of salt-stressed barley via enhancing the antioxidant defense system.

Salinity is one of themajor environmental factor that can greatly impact the growth, development, and productivity of barley. Our study aims to detect the natural phenotypic variation of morphological and physiological traits under both salinity and potassium nanoparticles (n-K) treatment. In addition tounderstanding the genetic basis of salt tolerance in barley is a critical aspect of plant breeding for stress resilience.Therefore, a foliar application of n-K was applied at the vegetative stage for 138 barley accessions to enhance salt stress resilience. Interestingly, barley accessions showed high significant increment under n-K treatment compared to saline soil. Based on genome-wide association studies (GWAS) analysis, causative alleles /reliable genomic regions were discovered underlying improved salt resilience through the application of potassium nanoparticles. On chromosome 2H, a highly significant QTN marker (A:C) was located at position 36,665,559 bp which is associated with APX, AsA, GSH, GS, WGS, and TKW under n-K treatment. Inside this region, our candidate gene is HORVU.MOREX.r3.2HG0111480 that annotated as NAC domain protein. Allelic variation detected that the accessions carrying C allele showed higher antioxidants (APX, AsA, and GSH) and barley yield traits (GS, WGS, and TKW) than the accessions carrying A allele, suggesting a positive selection of the accessions carrying C allele that could be used to develop barley varieties with improved salt stress resilience.

Deciphering anhydrobiosis and plant parasitism of the wheat seed gall nematode, Anguina tritici through transcriptomic analysis

The wheat seed gall nematode (Anguina tritici L.) poses a significant threat to wheat and barley production. Central to its survival is the ability to endure desiccation through anhydrobiosis, setting it apart from other nematodes. Unraveling the molecular mechanisms governing anhydrobiosis and plant parasitism in A. tritici is crucial for devising effective management strategies. A comprehensive transcriptomic analysis was conducted to elucidate the genetic pathways involved in these processes. Employing next-generation sequencing technologies, gene expression profiling was performed across three developmental stages, namely anhydrobiotic J2, revived J2 and the adult. Transcriptomic profiling yielded 139,002 transcripts in anhydrobiotic J2s, 156,731 in revived J2s, and 80,282 in adult stages, with a cumulative assembly size of 133.2 Mb. Differential gene expression analysis revealed that 1223 genes were significantly upregulated whereas 1934 genes were downregulated in anhydrobiotic J2s in comparison to revived J2s. Comparative transcriptomic analysis across nematode species highlighted conserved and species-specific genes. Functional annotation identified key genes associated with anhydrobiosis, plant parasitism, glycosylation, and longevity mechanisms. Real-time PCR validation corroborated differential expression patterns. The present study provides gene homologs and longevity pathways, which indicate similarity of the mechanism of dauer larva formation and survival strategies to that of Caenorhabditis elegans. Comprehensive understanding of the molecular basis for survival and parasitic strategies of A. tritici, shall provide potential targets for novel control interventions to mitigate nematode's impact on wheat crops.

The Effects of Bio-Fertilizer by Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi and Phosphate Solubilizing Bacteria on the Growth and Productivity of Barley under Deficit of Water Irrigation Conditions

Bio-fertilizers are the most important and effective method used to reduce the quantities of chemical fertilizers consumed and reduce dependence on them in agricultural production to avoid their harmful effects on the environment and public health as well as reduce the cost of agricultural production in light of increasing pollution and under adverse conditions for production and climate change. A bio-fertilizer depends primarily on the use of beneficial microorganisms such as arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) to improve the uptake of nutrients, improve plant growth, productivity, and grain yield. Crop production faces many challenges, and drought is one of the majority of the significant factors limiting crop production worldwide, especially in semi-arid regions. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of AMF and phosphate solubilizing bacteria (PSB), plus three rates of the recommended dose of phosphorus (RDP) fertilizer on yield, yield components, and nutrients uptake, in addition to evaluating the beneficial effects of these combinations to develop Phosphorus (P) management under three levels of irrigation water, i.e., three irrigations (normal or well-watered), two irrigations (moderate drought), and one irrigation (severe drought) on barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). The results showed that the treatment with AMF bio-fertilizer yielded the highest values of plant height, spike length, spike weight, number of grains/spike, 1000-grain weight, grain yield, straw yield, biological yield, and harvest index. Moreover, the grain and straw uptake of nitrogen (N), P, and potassium (K) (kg ha−1) in the two seasons under the three levels of irrigation, respectively, were superior followed by the inoculation by PSB. While the treatment without bio-fertilizer yielded the lowest values of these traits of barley, the treatment with bio-fertilizer yielded the increased percentage of the grain yield by 17.27%, 17.33% with applying AMF, and 10.31%, 10.40% with treatment by PSB. Treatment with AMF or PSB (Phosphorien), plus rates of phosphorus fertilizer under conditions of irrigation water shortage, whether irrigation was performed once or twice, led to an increase in grain yield and other characteristics compared to the same fertilization rates without inoculation. The results of this study showed that the use of bio-fertilizers led to an increase in plant tolerance to drought stress, and this was demonstrated by an increase in various traits with the use of treatments that include bio-fertilizers. Therefore, it is suggested to inoculate the seeds with AMF or PSB plus adding phosphate fertilizers at the recommended dose under drought conditions.

Продуктивность пивоваренного ячменя в зависимости от приёмов основной обработки почвы и регулятора роста Моддус

In modern conditions, the most effective way to increase the gross production of spring barley is to select the most productive varieties and realize their potential productivity by improving the technology of cultivation of spring barley for specific soil and climatic conditions of the zone. In this regard, the improvement of the complex of agricultural practices that increase the yield of barley is relevant and of particular scientific and practical interest. The purpose of the research was to improve the techniques of basic tillage and the use of growth regulators in the cultivation of spring malting barley. The research was conducted from 2022 to 2024 in the Moscow region at the experimental field of the Federal Research Center "Nemchinovka". The soil is sod-podzolic, heavy loamy. pH is 5.4 units. The humus content is 1.7%. As a result, on average for 2022-2024, observations of the spread of weeds in malting barley crops found that the smallest number of all weeds was fixed on the variant of chisel processing by Ranch workers with pruning paws to a depth of 0.27-0.30 m and amounted to 154 pcs/case. The highest height of brewing barley plants of the Reliable variety on average for 2022-2024 turned out to be on the variant of chisel tillage m without the use of growth regulators and was 69 cm. The largest number of productive stems was established on the variant of chisel tillage to a depth of 0.27-0.30 m without the use of a growth regulator and amounted to 498 pcs./m2, that is, 51 pcs./m2 more than the lowest value. The largest grain mass in the ear was set on a variant of chisel tillage to a depth of 0.27-0.30 m using the growth regulator Moddus CE at a dose of 0.4 l /ha and was equal to 1.25 grams, that is, 0.17 grams more than the lowest value. The highest yield was also formed on the variant of chisel processing by the working body of the Ranch with pruning paws to a depth of 0.27-0.30 m using the growth regulator Moddus CE at a dose of 0.4 l /ha and averaged 6.10 t/ha.

Productivity of spring barley at different seeding rates and doses of fertilizers

In the forest-steppe of the Euro-North-East of the Russian Federation (The Republic of Mordovia), the research has been carried out to optimize methods for cultivating spring barley of the Zazersky 85 cultivar, which allow to increase yield and improve grain quality. The experiment was carried out in 2020–2022 on leached medium-humic heavy loamy chernozem. There were studied seeding rates (4.5; 5.0; 5.5 million germinating seeds/ha) and doses of fertilizers (Ν0Р0К0; Ν32Р32К32 – before sowing (background); background + Ν30-60-90 – in top dressing). It has been established that increasing the seeding rate from 4.5–5.0 to 5.5 million significantly reduced the barley grain yield by 0.61–0.70 t/ha, respectively, on average over the years of the research. The crop yield increased significantly under the influence of mineral fertilizers – by 1.62–3.42 t/ha compared to the control (2.68 t/ha). In general, the highest grain yield (6.29–6.47 t/ha) was obtained when sowing barley at rates of 4.5 and 5.0 million germinated seeds/ha by the application of Ν32P32K32 before sowing and Ν60-90 as a top dressing in the tillering phase. Under the influence of fertilizers, the quality parameters of grain changed: the grain unit increased by 15–33 g/l, the weight of 1000 grains – by 0.63–1.53 g, the protein content – up to 13.2 %; the film content decreased by 0.3–0.7 abs.%. The highest grain uniformity (93.0–94.8 %) was observed at the seeding rate of 4.5 and 5.0 million germinated seeds/ha in the variants with nitrogen fertilizers (Ν60-90) against the background of Ν32P32K32. The highest profitability of grain production of the Zazersky 85 barley cultivar (103,18 %) was obtained at the seeding rate of 4.5 million germinated seeds per 1 ha with the application of Ν32P32K32 before sowing and N60 as a top dressing in the tillering phase.

Registration of Newly Released Hull Less Food Barley (<i>HondiumVulgare L.</i>) Variety, ‘Sena’, for High Potential Barley Growing Areas in Ethiopia

Twenty hull less barley genotypes from the local crossing program and germplasms introduced from ICARDA were evaluated in a multi-location variety trial to identify stable genotypes with high grain yield, desirable agronomic characters and good level of disease resistance. Results of combined analysis showed that genotype (G5 and G19) with pedigree name <i>TOCTE/M112/6/VMORALESCBSS04M00436T-11M-0Y-0M-3M-0AP and PENCO/CHEVRON-BAR/3/LEGACYU//PENCO/CHEVRON=BAR CBSS04Y00048S-23Y2M-0Y-0M-0Y-0AP--0TR-0TR </i>exhibited the highest mean grain yield with good agronomic performance and good level of disease resistance across the testing environments, while genotype. Accordingly, the two varieties were promoted to variety verification trial in 2022, and genotype G5 released in 2023; this genotype was named Sena. The variety showed good physical grain quality, coupled with high grain yield of 5.2 t/ha. Sena variety is suitable to the high potential barley growing areas. This variety is characterized by early maturity, white seed color, has good physical grain quality, resistance to leaf rust and scald, moderate resistance to net blotch, moderate tolerance to barley shoot fly, lodging tolerance and good biomass yield. The variety’s demonstration and seed multiplication is underway. Therefore, cultivation of the new variety in the higher altitude areas of major barley growing environments of the country is highly recommended. Six-rowed semi hulled barley Sena was developed by Sinana Agricultural Research Center (SARC), Southeastern Oromia region, Ethiopia. If the variety is sufficiently demonstrated, scaled up and adopted by farmers, it can play significant role in increasing hull less barley production and productivity thereby increasing the income of farmers and can also be source of raw material for local market engaged in the <i>kolo</i> production.

Green control for inhibiting Rhizopus oryzae growth by stress factors in forage grass factory.

The forage grass factory could break through the restrictions of land resources, region and climate to achieve efficient production throughout the year by accurate and intelligent management. However, due to its closed environment, mold outbreaks in the forage grass factory were severe, significantly affecting barley production. In this study, 9 contaminated barley tissues were collected and 45 strains were isolated in forage grass factory. After ITS sequencing, 45 strains were all identified as Rhizopus oryzae. Through stress factor assays, R. oryzae growth was seriously hindered by low concentration of sodium nitrate, high pH value and ozone water treatment. High pH and ozone water affected growth mainly by altering membrane integrity of R. oryzae. Sodium nitrate inhibited the growth of R. oryzae mainly by affecting the amount of sporulation. Low concentration of sodium nitrate and ozone water did not affect the growth of barley. High concentrations of sodium nitrate (100 mM) and pH values (8-8.5) inhibited barley growth. Among them, ozone water had the most obvious inhibition effect on R. oryzae. Large-scale ozone water treatment in the forage grass factory had also played a role in restoring barley production. Taken together, the green techonology to control mold disease and maintain the safety of forage through different physicochemical methods was selected, which was of considerable application value in animal husbandry.

Влияние применения различных гуминовых препаратов на формирование урожая и качество зернофуражного ячменя

The results of studies on the effectiveness of seed treatment and plant spraying with various humic preparations on spring grain feed barley are presented. The objectives of the research included assessing the effect of various humic preparations on productivity, disease resistance and grain quality of spring barley under various methods of their application (seed treatment, plant spraying, seed treatment + plant spraying). The objects of research were spring two-row barley of the Raushan variety. Humic preparations Bigus and Gumat +7 were used. The research was carried out in 2022-2023 on gray forest, medium loamy soil. In 2022, moisture conditions during the growing season were favorable; in 2023, periodic severe drought events were observed. The use of humic preparations led to a decrease in the development of both leaf diseases (dark brown spot) and root rot. The drug Bigus Extra had a more pronounced effect on reducing the damage to plants by root rot. The use of humic preparations had a positive effect on the length of the stem and ear of barley. The maximum values of the stem length were when using seed treatment and spraying crops with Bigus Extra, and the greatest length of the ear was when using Gumi+7. The use of humic preparations increases the yield of spring barley from 11 to 27.8%. When using only seed treatment or only spraying of crops, Bigus Extra had an advantage in yield, and when using a combination – seed treatment + plant treatment Humat +7. The highest yield of spring barley (27.8% more than in the control) was obtained using a scheme in which seeds and plants were treated with Humate +7. The use of seed treatment followed by spraying of plants led to an increase in the protein content of barley grain. The use of humic preparations in which they are used for pre-sowing seed treatment and subsequently for spraying crops (twice) was optimal for spring barley.

Genetic mapping of stripe rust resistance in a geographically diverse barley collection and selected biparental populations.

Barley stripe or yellow rust (BYR) caused by Puccinia striiformis f. sp. hordei (Psh) is a significant constraint to barley production. The disease is best controlled by genetic resistance, which is considered the most economical and sustainable component of integrated disease management. In this study, we assessed the diversity of resistance to Psh in a panel of international barley genotypes (n = 266) under multiple disease environments (Ecuador, India, and Mexico) using genome-wide association studies (GWASs). Four quantitative trait loci (QTLs) (three on chromosome 1H and one on 7H) associated with resistance to Psh were identified. The QTLs were validated by mapping resistance to Psh in five biparental populations, which detected key genomic regions on chromosomes 1H (populations Pompadour/Zhoungdamei, Pompadour/Zug161, and CI9214/Baudin), 3H (Ricardo/Gus), and 7H (Fumai8/Baronesse). The QTL RpshQ.GWA.1H.1 detected by GWAS and RpshQ.Bau.1H detected using biparental mapping populations co-located were the most consistent and stable across environments and are likely the same resistance region. RpshQ.Bau.1H was saturated using population CI9214/Baudin by enriching the target region, which placed the resistance locus between 7.9 and 8.1 Mbp (flanked by markers sun_B1H_03, 0.7 cM proximal to Rpsh_1H and sun_B1H_KASP_02, 3.2 cM distal on 1HS) in the Morex reference genome v.2. A Kompetitive Allele Specific PCR (KASP) marker sun_B1H_KASP_01 that co-segregated for RpshQ.Bau.1H was developed. The marker was validated on 50 Australian barley cultivars, showing well-defined allelic discrimination and presence in six genotypes (Baudin, Fathom, Flagship, Grout, Sakurastar, and Shepherd). This marker can be used for reliable marker-assisted selection and pyramiding of resistance to Psh and in diversifying the genetic base of resistance to stripe rust.

Sustainability improvement of grain productivity of beet crop rotations in the foreststeppe of the Central Blackearth region

The purpose of the current study was to identify the effect of various crop rotations and rates of application of mineral fertilizers on productivity of winter wheat and spring barley, the productivity of crop rotations and the economic efficiency of cultivating crops. The study was carried out in a stationary field trial of the FSBSI “Kursk FARC” on typical heavy loamy blackearth (chernozem) in 2015–2023. Agricultural crops were grown in three crop rotations: 1 – grainrow fallow (black fallow, winter wheat, sugar beets, maize for silage, barley); 2 – grain-row green manure fallow (green manure fallow, winter wheat, sugar beets, maize for silage, barley); 3 – crop rotation (horse-bean for grain, winter wheat, sugar beets, white lupine for grain, barley). During the trial there have been compared two contrasting levels of mineral fertilizer application N30Р30К30 and N52Р52К52 per hectare of crop rotation area. The non-marketable portion of the harvest of all crops was used as fertilizer. Agricultural technology was generally conventional for the area. There has been established that, under all weather conditions, the highest yield of winter wheat at a low background of fertilization (N30Р30К300 per hectare of crop rotation area) is produced in green manure fallow, and at a high background of fertilization (N52Р52К52 per hectare of crop rotation area) in black fallow. There was found that the most favorable conditions for cultivating barley were created when cultivating with white lupine for grain. Fertilization increase led to productivity increase of the grain crops, but, at the same time, to a production profitability decrease. There has been determined that productivity of crop rotations with fallow forecrops is 14 % higher compared to crop rotations with a legume forecrop (horse-bean for grain). According to calculations, on average over the years of study, the most profitable was the winter wheat cultivation in black fallow, and spring barley cultivation in white lupine for grain. At the same time, the indicator of production profitability level decreased with an increase in the rate of mineral fertilizing, which results in production costs’ increase.

Productivity and quality indicators of znatny barley when using mineral fertilizers and biological products

Productivity and quality indicators of znatny barley when using mineral fertilizers and biological products

Insights from utilizing data of different quality levels for simulating barley performance under Nordic conditions: The Agricultural Production Systems SIMulator model evaluation

Abstract Crop model-aided ideotyping can accelerate the breeding of resilient barley cultivars. Yet, the accuracy of process descriptions in the crop models still requires substantial improvement, which is only possible with high-quality (HQ) experimental data. Despite being demanded frequently, such data are still rarely available, especially for Northern European barley production. This study is one of the first to contribute to closing this existing data gap through the targeted collection of HQ experimental data in pluri-annual, multi-location spring barley field trials in Denmark. With this data, the prediction accuracy of Agricultural Production Systems SIMulator significantly increased in contrast to commonly utilized lower quality datasets. Using this data for model calibration resulted in more accurate predictions of in-season plant development and important state variables (e.g. final grain yield and biomass). The model’s prediction accuracy can ultimately be further improved by examining remaining model weaknesses that were discoverable with the HQ data. Process descriptions regarding, for example, early and late leaf development, soil water dynamics and respective plant response appeared to require further improvement. By illustrating the effect of data quality on model performance we reinforce the need for more model-guided field experiments.

LncRNA cis- and trans-regulation provides new insight into drought stress responses in wild barley.

Drought is one of the most common abiotic stresses that affect barley productivity. Long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) has been reported to be widely involved in abiotic stress, however, its function in the drought stress response in wild barley remains unclear. In this study, RNA sequencing was performed to identify differentially expressed lncRNAs (DElncRNA) among two wild barley and two cultivated barley genotypes. Then, the cis-regulatory networks were according to the chromosome position and the expression level correction. The GO annotation indicates that these cis-target genes are mainly involved in "ion transport transporter activity" and "metal ion transport transporter activity". Through weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), 10 drought-related modules were identified to contract trans-regulatory networks. The KEGG annotation demonstrated that these trans-target genes were enriched for photosynthetic physiology, brassinosteroid biosynthesis, and flavonoid metabolism. In addition, we constructed the lncRNA-mediated ceRNA regulatory network by predicting the microRNA response elements (MREs). Furthermore, the expressions of lncRNAs were verified by RT-qPCR. Functional verification of a candidate lncRNA, MSTRG.32128, demonstrated its positive role in drought response and root growth and development regulation. Hormone content analysis provided insights into the regulatory mechanisms of MSTRG.32128 in root development, revealing its involvement in auxin and ethylene signal transduction pathways. These findings advance our understanding of lncRNA-mediated regulatory mechanisms in barley under drought stress. Our results will provide new insights into the functions of lncRNAs in barley responding to drought stress.