Hulled Barley Research Articles

Subsistence strategies of two Bronze Age hill-top settlements in the eastern Alps—Friaga/Bartholomäberg (Vorarlberg, Austria) and Ganglegg/Schluderns (South Tyrol, Italy)

Up to now, archaeobotanical investigations of prehistoric sites in the eastern Alpine region have been rare. Recent palaeoethnobotanical investigations of carbonised plant remains from two Bronze Age hill-top settlements, one located north and the other south of the main Alpine range, contribute essentially to the knowledge of subsistence strategies and husbandry regimes in the Alps in prehistoric periods. The principal cereals were Hordeum vulgare (hulled barley), Triticum dicoccon (emmer) and Panicum miliaceum (broomcorn millet). In general, hulled barley was the most important cereal crop in the eastern Alps. Legumes such as Vicia faba (horse bean) and Pisum sativum (pea) also occurred regularly in both hill-top settlements. In addition to these field crops, a large variety of wild plants was still gathered and contributed considerably to the daily diet. The arable weed flora suggests that crops were sown in spring and autumn and it indicates crop rotation in this period. The results of the plant macrofossils imply a complex pattern of plant resource utilisation in the Alpine area during the Bronze Age.

Assessment of Hull-less Barley as a Locally Grown Swine Feed Ingredient in the Mid-Atlantic Region of the United States

Crossbred pigs (six replicate pens of four pigs per treatment, avg. initial BW = 38 kg) were used in a 6-wk growth and digestibility trial to assess a hull-less barley adapted for the mid Atlantic region of the U.S. as the primary ingredient in pelleted diets for growing pigs. There were five experimental diets: 1) a corn-soybean meal-based diet, 2) a diet containing 46% hull-less barley and 1.6% added fat, 3) a diet containing 41% hulled barley and 4.1% added fat, 4) a diet containing 46% hulled barley and 1.6% added fat, and 5) a diet containing 46% wheat and 0.68% added fat. For diets based on small grains, a fixed inclusion rate of 25% corn was used. With the exception of Diet 4, all diets were formulated to be iso-lysinic and iso-caloric. Diet type had no effect (P>0.10) on ADFI or ADG. Pigs fed the hulled barley, high-fat diet (Diet 3) had slightly improved feed efficiency (P<0.05) relative to pigs fed the corn, hull-less barley or hulled barley, low-fat diets. Only minor differences in digestibility of DM, energy, and protein were observed among the corn, hull-less barley, hulled barley, high-fat, and wheat diets. The digestibility of these components in the hulled barley, low-fat diet (Diet 4) was 3.9 to 6.9 percentage units less (P<0.05) than in the other diets. These results demonstrate that good quality hulled and hull-less barley adapted for the mid-Atlantic region of the U.S. can be used at a relatively high inclusion rate in pelleted grower pig diets and produce growth performance comparable with similar diets based mainly on corn or wheat.

Genotypic Variation in Color and Discoloration Potential of Barley‐Based Food Products

ABSTRACTBarley has a variety of potential food uses. However, the dark gray color of the final products negatively affects consumer acceptability. We determined the discoloration potential of barley from different classes and genotypes, and evaluated the relationship of barley composition, total polyphenol content, and polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity with discoloration potential of barley. Barley grains were abraded, milled into flour, and analyzed for composition, total polyphenol content, and PPO activity. Total polyphenol content of abraded barley, expressed as gallic acid %, was lowest in hulled proanthocyanidin‐free barley (0.02–0.04%), followed by hulled proanthocyanidin‐containing barley (0.11–0.18%), and hull‐less barley (0.19–0.26%). PPO activity of abraded kernels ranged from 62.1 units/g in hulled proanthocyanidin‐containing Baronesse to 116.5 units/g in hulled proanthocyanidin‐free CA803803. Dough sheet brightness (L* value) was the best indicator of discoloration potential of barley. Large variation in L* value of dough sheets was observed among different classes and among genotypes within classes. Brightness of dough sheets measured at 24 hr were significantly higher in hulled (65.3–78.1) than in hull‐less (59.0–63.9) barley, and within hulled barley, higher in proanthocyanidin‐free (72.2–78.1) than in proanthocyanidin‐containing (65.3–69.6) barley. Total polyphenol content significantly correlated with the discoloration potential of barley. Protein content and ash content also had a significant negative correlation with discoloration of dough sheets. The results indicated that polyphenol compounds may play a major role in discoloration potential of barley‐based products.

Combined Effects of Biological Control Formulations, Cultivars, and Fungicides on Preharvest Colonization and Aflatoxin Contamination of Peanuts by Aspergillus Species

Abstract A 3-yr field study was conducted to determine the effect of biological control formulations of nontoxigenic strains of Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus, peanut cultivars, and fungicides on preharvest aflatoxin contamination of peanuts. Formulation treatments consisted of (a) no biocontrol treatment, (b) the fungi cultured on rice via solid-state fermentation, (c) conidia of the fungi coated onto the surface of rice, and (d) conidia coated onto the surface of wheat (year one) or hulled barley (years two and three). Experiments consisted of factorial combinations of the four formulation treatments, two peanut cultivars (Florunner or Georgia Green), and two fungicide treatments (chlorothalonil or combinations of chlorothalonil and tebuconazole). Florunner and Georgia Green peanuts were each planted in 32 individual plots consisting of six rows 15.2 m in length. Biological control formulations, consisting of a mixture of nontoxigenic strains of A. flavus (NRRL 21882) and A. parasiticus (NRRL 21369), were applied to the same plots in each of the 3 yr at a rate of 56 kg/ha. Foliar applications of fungicides were made as recommended for control of leaf spot, with one treatment being full-season applications of chlorothalonil, and the other being two applications of chlorothalonil followed by four applications of tebuconazole and remaining applications of chlorothalonil. Only in year two of the study was late-season drought sufficient to produce preharvest aflatoxin contamination. All biocontrol formulation treatments produced significant reductions in aflatoxin compared with untreated controls, averaging 81%. There was also a significant cultivar effect on aflatoxin with Georgia Green averaging 119 μg/kg compared with 402 μg/kg for Florunner. No differences were observed between the two fungicide treatments, and there was no interaction among the three factors. Analysis of soil for populations of A. flavus and A. parasiticus throughout the study showed that all formulations, except the conidia-coated wheat in the first year, were effective in delivering competitive levels of the nontoxigenic strains. In the third year, which did not result in significant aflatoxin contamination, analysis of peanuts for fungal colonization showed no significant differences among biocontrol treatments (including control) for total amounts of A. flavus and A. parasiticus in peanuts. However, the incidence of toxigenic isolates in peanuts was significantly reduced by all three biocontrol formulations.

Tocols in hull-less and hulled barley genotypes grown in contrasting environments

The content of tocols is a parameter of increasing interest in evaluating the quality of plant-based food. Cereal grains are amongst the most widely occurring plant food components and their potential for enriching the content of vitamin E and/or hypocholesterolemic active compounds in food is therefore of interest. We investigated the presence of tocol homologues in hulled and hull-less barley, as influenced by genotype and location. Both factors significantly influenced the amount of tocols in the barley kernel, with genotype having the greater effect for most homologues. Significant genotype×location interaction was observed for six out of eight homologues, but not for total tocotrienols and total tocols; however, the coefficient of determination for genotype was high for most homologues, so that selection for this traits should be possible. The hull-less trait negatively affected the content of total tocols, influencing both tocopherols (positively) and tocotrienols (negatively). Statistical analysis suggests this is due to a different sub-set of homologues, which is preferentially accumulated in hull-less vs. hulled barleys. As hulled barley had a greater accumulation of more bioactive homologues, the selection of hull-less barleys for this trait should be considered for enhancing food quality.

Deoxynivalenol removal from barley intended as swine feed through the use of an abrasive pearling procedure.

Samples of naturally contaminated hulled barley, with varying deoxynivalenol concentrations, were subjected to an abrasive type dehulling procedure. The remaining grain fractions were analyzed for weight remaining (%), deoxynivalenol (ppm), crude protein (%CP), neutral detergent fiber (%NDF), ash (%ASH), gross energy (GE; kcal/kg), and calculated digestible energy values (DE; kcal/kg). Following the initial 15 s of pearling, 85% of the grain mass remained. Additional pearling resulted in a linear decline of grain mass. Following 15 s of pearling, the grain contained 34% of the initial deoxynivalenol content, irrespective of the initial level of contamination. Further pearling resulted in continued significant (p < 0.05) reductions in the percent of deoxynivalenol remaining to a level of 7.9% after 120 s but with significant losses in grain mass. Pearling can serve as an effective means of reducing the deoxynivalenol content of barley, with improvements in nutrient levels. However, the need to reduce the deoxynivalenol content of contaminated barley to less than 1 ppm for swine will necessitate the removal of a significant amount of the grain mass for heavily contaminated samples.

겉보리와 쌀보리의 교잡 F1 세대에서 생육 및 수량형질의 잡종강세와 정역간 교잡효과

정역교잡에 따른 보리의 겉보리와 쌀보리의 <TEX>$F_1$</TEX>세대에 대한 잡종강세의 정도와 이들의 유전적 작용을 평가할 수 있는 heterosis나 heterobeltiosis의 검정과 유전력 및 상관관계를 분석한 결과는 다음과 같다. 겉보리<TEX>$\times$</TEX>쌀보리, 쌀보리<TEX>$\times$</TEX>겉보리의 교배조합에 따른 heterosis는 간장, 수장, 망장, 엽장, 엽폭, 주당수수, 수당립수, 천립중 등의 모든 형질에서 정의 강세율을 보였다. 쌀보리<TEX>$\times$</TEX>겉보리의 교배조합이 겉보리<TEX>$\times$</TEX>쌀보리의 교배조합보다 heterosis나 heterobeltiosis가 간장, 엽장, 엽폭, 주당수수, 수당립수 등에서 강세의 정도가 다소 높았고, 피과성의 우성정도는 피성이 과성에 대하여 우성이었음을 확인하였다. 그리고 교배조합간의 유전력은 엽폭에서 94.5 %로 가장 높게 나타났으며, 각 조사형 질 대부분 76.7-94.5 %로 높은 수치를 나타내었다. 또한 겉보리와 쌀보리의 정역교배조합간 상관 관계는 정교배의 경우, 염장과 주당수수(0.970<TEX>$^{**}$</TEX> ), 간장과 수당립수<TEX>$(0.963^{**})$</TEX>, 망장과 엽장<TEX>$(0.862^{**})$</TEX>이 정으로 높은 유전상관을, 역교배의 경우, 간장과 수장<TEX>$(0.926^{**})$</TEX>, 망장과 엽장<TEX>$(0.922^{**})$</TEX>, 주당수수와 수당립수<TEX>$(0.713^{**})$</TEX>가 높은 유전상관을 나타내었다. This study was carried out to estimate the degree of heterosis and heterobeltiosis, and the heritability and genetic correlation in F<TEX>$_1$</TEX>hybrid produced by reciprocal crosses between two six-rowed hulled barley (Gangbori and Olbori) and three six-rowed naked barley (Saechalssalbori, Saessalbori, and Moodeongssalbori). Heterosis was observed positively in traits such as cults length, spike length, awn length, leaf length, leaf width, number of spikes per plant, number of grains per spike, and 1000 grain weight. Heterosis and heterobeltiosis from the crosses with hulled barley as a material parent showed higher performance in culm length, leaf length, leaf width, number of spike per plant, number of grains per spike. The hulled grain characteristics is dominant over the naked one. The highest heritability was confirmed in leaf width with a value of 94.5% and overall high heritability was observed in most traits with the range from 76.7% to 94.5%. In an analysis of correlation coefficient, higher genetic correlations were observed between leaf length and number of spikes per plant(0.970), between cults length and number of grains per spike(0.963), and between awn length and leaf length(0.862) in the forward crosses in which hulled barley was maternal. In the reverse crosses, higher genetic correlation was observed between culm length and spike length(0.926), between awn length and leaf length(0.922), and between number of spikes per plant and number of grains per spike(0.713).

Performance and carcass characteristics of growing pigs and broilers fed diets containing micronised barley, ground barley, wheat and maize

AbstractTwo swine starter/grower/finisher trials utilising 216 24‐day‐old pigs and one 40‐day broiler growth trial utilising 1920 1‐day‐old chicks were conducted to determine the influence of dietary micronised dehulled barley (MDB) as a replacement for hulled barley (HB), wheat (W) and maize (M) on live performance, carcass and meat measurements, organ weights (swine), plasma urea nitrogen (PUN) level (swine) and intestinal digesta viscosity (broilers). Dehulling and micronising the barley reduced crude protein by 20%, neutral detergent fibre by 17% and amino acids by varying amounts. Replacing M or W with MDB in swine diets had no effect (P &gt; 0.05) on any measured parameter, with the exception of decreased PUN (P = 0.03) when MDB replaced 100% of W. Broilers fed W, M or HB generally had similar live performance, carcass traits and digesta viscosity, with the exception of reduced (P &lt; 0.05) average daily gain and average daily feed intake for HB during the first 20 days of the trial. However, broilers fed MDB had slightly reduced (P = 0.05) live performance during each phase of the trial and greatly increased (P = 0.01) digesta viscosity. Addition of a commercial enzyme product to the diets reversed the reduced performance and increased the digesta viscosity of the MDB diet, but generally had no influence in the W, M and HB diets. These results suggest that MDB can be utilised in swine diets without affecting performance, but that reduced performance may result from its use in broiler diets.© 2001 Society of Chemical Industry

Effects of storage conditions on quality loss of hull-less and hulled oats and barley

Oat and barley cultivars were stored at various temperatures (10–30 °C) and relative humidities (35–80%) for one year to determine rates of seed deterioration. Two hulled oat cultivars (Robert and AC Marie), one hull-less oat cultivar (AC Belmont), one hulled barley cultivar (Bedford) and one hull-less barley cultivar (Condor) were stored. Experimental data were obtained at specified intervals for fat acidity values (FAV), germination and moisture content to determine the deterioration during storage. FAV were initially 69 mg KOH 100 g−1 dry seed for AC Marie, 43 for Robert, and 46 for AC Belmont oats. Values for barley were 8 mg KOH 100 g−1 dry seed for Bedford and 9 for Condor. The incidence of microfloral infection by Aspergillus glaucus group, Penicillium spp., Cladosporium spp., Rhizopus spp., and Alternaria alternata during the storage period was determined. Storage guidelines for barley and oat, based on grain moisture and temperature, were related to FAV increases of 1.5-fold for oats and two-fold for barley. Generally, hull-less cultivars of both crops stored as well as hulled cultivars at cool, dry conditions, but they deteriorated faster at high temperatures and high moisture contents. Key words: Oat, barley, hulled, hull-less, temperature, moisture, storage

Crop husbandry at Miri Qalat Makran, SW Pakistan (4000–2000 B.C.)

Large scale sampling for plant remains at Miri Qalat indicates that agriculture based on naked wheat and naked and hulled barley was practised between the 4th and the 2nd millennia B.C. Other cultivated plants identified areLens culinaris (lentil),Pisum sativum (pea),Linum usitatissimum (flax),Vilis vinifera (grape) andCoriandrum salivum (coriander). The only summer crop,Sesamum indicum (sesame), appears during the second half of the 3rd millennium. Gathered edible fruits includeCordia, Grewia andNannorrhops ritchieana.Phoenix dactylifera (dates) may also have been gathered rather than cultivated.

Hull-less barley for swine: ileal and faecal digestibility of proximate nutrients, amino acids and non-starch polysaccharides

The nutritive value of three hull-less barley cultivars (Condor, Falcon and CDC Buck) were evaluated. The samples were analysed for proximate composition, amino acids and non-starch polysaccharides (NSP). Wheat and normal barley were used for comparison. Apparent digestibilities were determined with eight cannulated pigs. The diets were formulated to have all energy and protein supplied by the cereals. Compared to normal barley, hull-less barley has higher contents of protein and amino-acids, and lower levels of fibre components. The levels of several essential amino acids in hull-less barley are higher than in wheat. No obvious differences in NSP composition were observed, but the hull-less barley contained considerably higher levels of β-glucan compared to hulled barley and wheat. In digestion trials the piglets did not accept the diet in which conventional barley was formulated as the only energy and protein source, whereas hull-less barleys were well consumed. The results showed that, in the order of Condor, Falcon, CDC Buck and wheat, the overall tract digestibilities of intake energy were 83·1, 80·3, 83·2 and 82·9%, and of protein were 72·6, 69·5, 76·5 and 77·6%, respectively. The averages of apparent ileal amino acid digestibility were 56·5, 58·4, 65·3 and 65·4%, respectively. Hull-less barleys showed 20–37% ileal digestibility of total NSP. This study provides digestibility coefficients of hull-less barleys, and it is concluded that the digestibility of hull-less barley is comparable to wheat and superior to hulled barley in terms of nutrient composition and acceptability. © 1998 SCI.

Ileal and total tract digestibility in pigs of naked and hulled barley with different starch composition

Ileal and total tract digestibility of dietary components and energy in naked and hulled barley containing starch varying in amylose: amylopectin ratio was studied in a 5 × 5 Latin square design with ileal cannulated growing pigs. There were significant differences in ileal and total tract dietary components digestibilities between naked and hulled cultivars as a result of differences in the content of fibrous components between barley types. Apart from the ileal digestibility of starch, total, insoluble and soluble β-glucans of diets with naked and hulled regular barley, the diet based on naked amylopectin-rich barley showed a significantly ( P < 0.05) higher ileal and total tract digestibility of dietary components and energy than diets of the other barley types. Except for crude fat the diet with naked regular barley showed significantly ( P < 0.05) higher total tract digestibilities than diets with hulled regular and hulled amylopectin-rich barley. At the ileal level, the diet with hulled amylose-rich barley showed significantly ( P < 0.05) lower digestibilities of organic matter, nitrogen free extracts and energy than diets with hulled regular and hulled amylopectin-rich barley. Despite a similar fibre content in diets with naked amylopectin-rich and naked regular barley, ileal nutrient digestibilities were significantly ( P < 0.05) lower in the latter. Apart from organic matter, nitrogen free extracts and energy the diet with naked regular barley showed similar ileal digestibilities as the diet with hulled regular barley. Naked barleys showed a marked advantage compared to hulled barleys with respect to the hindgut digestion expressed as a proportion of the ileal flow of dietary components and energy. The present results indicate that other factors in addition to hull, fibre and β-glucan content are of importance for ileal and hindgut dietary components digestion in barley.

Effects of the Fungicide Propiconazole on Agronomic and Quality Traits of Hulled and Hulless Barley

The hypocholesterolemic effect of hulless waxy barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) has increased its use in food products. Hulless cultivars currently grown in the Upper Midwest U.S. barley growing region are susceptible to a foliar disease, spot blotch, that can severely reduce yield. Spot blotch and kernel blight generally occur in the eastern area of the region; thus, hulless barley production is limited to the western area. Research on chemical control of spot blotch and kernel disease in hulless barley genotypes grown in the Upper Midwest has not been conducted. The objectives of this study were to determine whether natural field infections of the pathogen responsible for causing spot blotch and partly responsible for causing kernel blight similarly affect kernel and flour brightness of hulled and hulless barley genotypes, and to determine whether disease control with the fungicide propiconazole {1[[2-(2,4-dichlorophenyl)-4-propyl-1,3-dioxolan-2-yl]methyl]-1H-1,2,4-triazole} similarly affect agronomic and quality traits of hulled and hulless barley genotypes. Propiconazole reduced spot blotch severity. This resulted in increased yield and yield-related traits in hulled and hulless genotypes. Responses to propiconazole by the hulled and hulless genotypes were generally similar for spot blotch control, and similar for grain yield and 1000-kernel weight. The reduction in spot blotch severity did not result in brighter kernels or flour, nor did it affect mean total or soluble β-glucan content of hulled and hulless genotypes. Thus, hulless barley cultivars susceptible to spot blotch can be produced in the eastern area of the Upper Midwest barley growing region if they are protected with propiconazole.

Archaeobotanical remains of hulled and naked cereals in the Iberian Peninsula

Archaeobotanical finds in Spain show differences in the representation of the different wheats and barleys. From the beginning of agriculture (around 5000 B.C.) onwards, all wheats and barleys can be found at the sites of the eastern Peninsula. But in later periods of the early Neolithic, free-threshing wheat becomes more important in the northeast and the southeast, compared to the hulled wheats (emmer and einkorn). Nevertheless, both naked and hulled barleys can be found in similar frequencies in this period. Seed analyses in the southeast and the east of Spain show the importance of naked barley compared with hulled barley in the third millenium uncal B.C. This is not the case in the northeast, where hulled barley has a similar frequency in this period until the Iron Age, when both hulled barley and free-threshing wheat are the most important taxa. The substitution of naked barley for hulled barley in the south-east Iberian Peninsula is very significant in the period of greatest growth of the Argar culture. Free-threshing wheat can be found at a similar frequency throughout the study area, and was an important human food source together with the barleys. Hulled wheats seem to have played a secondary role as food in all periods, although they are constantly present in our samples. Nevertheless spelt wheat does not appear until the Roman period, when it is only found on the Cantabrian north coast, where it is important.

Traces of a possible Celtic brewery in Eberdingen-Hochdorf, Kreis Ludwigsburg, southwest Germany

A large number of weakly germinated hulled barley grains was found during archaeobotanical analyses from the early Celtic settlement excavations at Eberdingen-Hochdorf in southwest Germany (ca. 600 – 400 BC). These grains seem to represent deliberate germination, due to the purity of the find and its unusual archaeological context. The possibility of deliberate malting which could be connected with beer brewing is discussed. Recent germination and charring experiments show that the consistently weak traces of germination on the charred subfossil grains from Hochdorf are enough to indicate malted grains. A comparison of the archaeobotanical remains with the written and archaeological sources shows that evidence of beer brewing from excavations is very scarce. There is practically no clear proof of brewing, while written sources and indirect suggestions are abundant. Neither archaeological finds nor either written or iconographic sources give exact details about the prehistoric brewing technology of the early Celts. The archaeological finds from Hochdorf seem to be the result of deliberate malting of hulled barley for the purpose of Celtic beer brewing.

Evaluation of hull-less barley genotypes varying in extract viscosity in broiler chick diets

Both hull-less and hulled barley cultivars, representing high and low extremes in extract viscosity (reflective of soluble β-glucan content), were compared in broiler chick diets both with and without dietary β-glucanase supplementation. In both experiments both body weight gain ( P < 0.01) and feed conversion ( P < 0.01) of chicks fed barley were improved with β-glucanase. Body weight gain of chicks indicated a greater response to dietary β-glucanase in the high viscosity barleys (16.5%, Experiment 1; 23.5%, Experiment 2), although some response was also evident in chicks given low viscosity barley (5.6%, Experiment 1; 8.2%, Experiment 2). Feed conversions of chicks also indicated a larger response to β-glucanase supplementation for the high viscosity (−9.6%, Experiment 1; −15.0%, Experiment 2) as compared with low viscosity (−2.6%, Experiment 1; −7.4%, Experiment 2) barleys. Both high and low viscosity hull-less barley gave equivalent performance with β-glucanase supplementation. Comparisons with hulled barley indicated that hull-less barley diets gave higher body weight gain (8.2%, P < 0.01) and lower feed conversion (−3.83%, P < 0.10) in chick diets when supplemented with β-glucanase.

The effect of β-glucanase supplementation on nutrient digestibility and growth in broilers given diets containing barley, oat groats or wheat

Nutrient availability in relation to broiler chick performance was evaluated in diets containing barley, oat groats or wheat with β-glucanase supplementation. Both growth and feed conversion of chicks (0–3 weeks) were improved significantly with enzyme supplementation for diets containing hulled or hulless barley or oat groats. No response to dietary enzyme was evident for chicks given wheat diets. Added dietary fat (1.0, 4.5 or 8.0%) also improved the performance of chicks fed on wheat or hulled barley, but results were variable when fat was added to hulless barley or oat-groat diets without enzyme. Both amino-acid and starch utilization in chicks fed on hulless barley or oat-groat diets were improved with enzyme supplementation, however, the response was less than that seen for fat digestibility. Most of the dietary fat was not derived from the cereal source indicating that β-glucan affected nutrient availability of the entire diet.

Gamma Irradiation Treatment of Cereal Grains for Chick Diets

Wheat (W), triticale (T), hulled barley (HB), hull-less barley (HLB), hulled oats (HO), and hull-less oats (HLO) were gamma irradiated (60Co) at 0, 3, 6 and 9 Mrad to study the effect of irradiation on the nutritional value of cereal grains for chicks. A significant curvilinear relationship between radiation dose and 3-wk body weight of chicks fed irradiated cereals was noted for T, HB, HLB, HO and HLO. Chicks fed W or T showed no effect or lower body weight, respectively, while body weights of chicks fed barley or oat samples were higher with irradiation. The improvement tended to be maximal at the 6 Mrad level. Irradiation significantly improved the gain-to-feed ratio for chicks fed either HO or HLO. Apparent fat retention and tibia ash were higher in chicks fed irradiated HLO than in those fed untreated HLO. In a second experiment chick body weight, apparent amino acid and fat retention, tibia ash, and gain-to-feed ratios were lower in chicks fed autoclaved (121°C for 20 min) barley than in those fed untreated barley. Irradiation (6 Mrad) subsequent to autoclaving barley samples eliminated these effects. Irradiation appears to benefit cereals containing soluble or mucilagenous fiber types as typified by β-glucan of barley and oats. These fibers appear prone to irradiation-induced depolymerization, as suggested by increased β-glucan solubility and reduced extract viscosity for irradiated barley and oat samples.

EFFECT OF IRRIGATION APPLIED AT DIFFERENT GROWTH STAGES ON YIELD CHARACTERS AND YIELD OF HULLED AND HULL-LESS BARLEY

Field experiments conducted at Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi during the rabi seasons of 1979-80 and 1980-81, with two barley types in combination with ten levels of irrigation. including the control treatment indicated that significant in- crease in yield characters and yield was observed in hulled barley as compared to hull-less barley The different levels of irrigation did not influence the ear length. However, 1000-grain weight was significantly influenced by irrigation. Grain yields were favoura bly influenced by irrigation up to two to three irrigations depending upon the seasonal variations.

NUTRIENT ACCUMULATION PATTERN IN HULLED AND HULL-LESS BARLEY

Field experiments conducted during 1979-80 and 1980-81 at Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi to study the nutrient accumulation pattern in two barley types (DL-85 hulled and 18-65 hull less) revealed that nutrient accumulation was more at initial stages of crop growth and it declined with the age of the crop. At harvest, the nitrogen and phosphorus content in the grain showed an increasing trend, while a decreasing trond was observed in case of straw. The reverse was true in case of potassium content. Hull-less barloy recorder higher nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium content than hulled barley.