Winter Barley Varieties Research Articles

Rumen degradation of straw. 10. Consistency of differences in nutritive value between varieties of cereal straws

ABSTRACTThe consistency of differences between varieties in nutritive value of cereal straws was tested over 3 years consecutively for nine varieties of spring barley and 10 varieties of winter wheat straw and over 2 years consecutively for 12 varieties of winter barley and six varieties of oats. For all varieties there were large year-to-year differences in nutritive value measured by ruminal degradation characteristics using the nylon bag technique. For spring barley there were large differences between varieties and the correlations between varieties in different years were mostly in excess of r = 0·90 for 48-h degradability and maximum potential degradability. For winter wheat the correlations between varieties for different years were lower but mostly significant. For the winter barley differences between varieties were less, but even so differences between varieties in different years were significant. For oats differences between the varieties were small and there was no significant correlation within varieties between years. The results suggest that the nutritive value of cereal straws is generally consistent between years and is a characteristic that could be improved by selection.

Varietal differences in the nutritive value of cereal grains for pigs

SUMMARYEstimates were made of the dry matter (DM) yield and N content of cereal grains harvested from trial plots. They included 236 combinations of variety and treatment, with 13 varieties of winter wheat grown under six husbandry regimes, 14 varieties of spring barley under three husbandry regimes and ten varieties of winter barley under 11 husbandry regimes. The husbandry included timing and rate of fertilizer application, use of growth regulator and fungicide, and seed rate.For all three cereals, there were highly significant positive associations between grain N content (g/kg DM) and grain DM yield (t/ha) when individual varieties were grown under different conditions. The regression coefficients were: winter wheat 2·28, spring barley 0·74 and winter barley 1·06. When varieties were compared under constant husbandry, the association between N content and yield was negative; the regression coefficients were: winter wheat – 1·53, spring barley –1·14 and winter barley –1·21.The contents of lysine, threonine, isoleucine and valine were examined in 19 samples of winter wheat, 19 of spring barley and 21 of winter barley. Each cereal type included a comparison of varieties under one husbandry regime and a comparison of husbandry regimes in one variety.The amino acid composition of wheat protein changed little with either variety or treatment. In spring and winter barley, lysine concentration in grain protein (g/16 g N) decreased with increases in grain N which arose from additional fertilizer N. There were similar decreases in threonine, isoleucine and valine in winter barley, but varietal differences in grain N were not associated with significant changes in the amino acid composition of grain protein.The nutritive values of spring barley, winter barley and winter wheat were compared in digestion and N balance studies in growing pigs. A subset often samples was examined which included, for each cereal type, high- and low-protein varieties, each (except for spring barley) grown with high or low rates of applied fertilizer N.Apparent digestibility of dry matter measured at the terminal ileum was similar (0·67–0·70) in all three types of cereal but there was a tendency for the DM of high-protein varieties to be digested better than that of low-protein varieties. Over the whole digestive tract, the apparent digestibility of the DM of wheat was higher (0·83) than that of barley (0·75).The apparent digestion of the starch of all samples was virtually complete (0·98) by the end of the ileum; the remainder was digested in the large intestine.The apparent digestibility of N up to the terminal ileum was significantly higher for wheat than for barley, and significantly higher in high- than in low-protein varieties. Over the whole gastro-intestinal tract, the difference between the cereals was even larger; a greater proportion of wheat N than of barley N was digested in the large intestine.The rate of N fertilizer application did not significantly affect the apparent digestibility of any amino acid but there were significant differences amongst the cereal types in the apparent digestibility of seven amino acids. The amino acids in high-protein varieties were, on average, 6 % more digestible than those in low-protein varieties.When allowance was made for the endogenous flow of amino acids, some of the differences between cereals and between high- and low-protein varieties disappeared but some significant differences remained.The biological value (BV) of wheat protein (0·43) was significantly lower than that of barley protein (mean 0·57). When pigs were fed wheat as the sole protein source, the higher N content of wheat compensated for its lower BV. There were no significant differences in the rates of N retention between pigs fed on wheat or barley.

A note on the effect of variety, type of straw and ammonia treatment on digestibility and on growth rate in steers

Forty Hereford cross steers of 350 kg live weight were allocated to 10 treatments in which straw was offered ad libitum. The straws comprised two varieties of winter barley (Gerbel (G) an Igri (I)), two varieties of spring barley (Corgi (C) and Golden Promise (GP)) and one variety of winter wheat (Norman (N)). Each straw was offered either untreated (with 20 g urea per kg added at feeding), or treated (with 30 g anhydrous ammonia). After 10 weeks the treatments were changed. The mean growth rates for steers receiving the untreated straws were 0·11, 0·13, 0·40, 0·20 and 0·27 kg/day and for treated straws were 0·36, 0·33, 0·61, 0·60 and 0·52 kg/day for G, I, C, GP and N respectively. The straw intakes for untreated straws were 3·4, 3·6, 5·2, 4·4 and 4·6 kg dry matter per day and for treated straws 4·7, 4·8, 5·9, 4·9 and 5·8 kg dry matter per day for G, I, C, GP and N respectively. Chemical and biological measurements were compared as predictors of voluntary intake of straw and growth rate in the steers. Biological measurements were very efficient in predicting performance of the steers while chemical measurements were much less valuable.

The influence of straw quality and level of concentrate in a completely mixed diet on intake and growth rate in steers

Results from a previous experiment with growing steers showed that straw from varieties of winter and spring barley or winter wheat supported different intakes and rates of gain. It was possible to identify those cereal straws most suitable for inclusion in low cost diets for beef cattle. The object of this work was to assess whether complete diets containing a minimum of 35% “good” straw could sustain a high rate of gain in finishing cattle. The trial used 45 Hereford cross steers that weighed 360 kg at the start. There were three types of straw examined; straw from the spring barley variety Corgi, untreated (UC) and ammonia treated (AC) together with ammonia treated winter wheat (AW) cv. Longbow;. Each straw type was included in a complete diet containing either 0.35 (L), 0.45 (M) or 0.55 (H) straw. Ammonia treatment was carried out in an oven with 0.03 anhydrous ammonia for 24 hours. The straw was processed through a tub grinder and the chopped material was transferred to a mixer wagon for diet preparation. All the diets contained fishmeal and urea and equal proportions of rolled barley and molassed sugar beet pulp substituted for the straw. The complete diets were offered ad libitum and the steers were weighed fortnightly until they were estimated to provide carcasses in MLC fat class 4L. Digestibility data for each diet was derived in a subsidary trial using cattle fed ad libitum. The digestibility coefficients for D11 were 0.67 UC; 0.68 AW; 0.69 AC and 0.66 H; 0.68 M; 0.70 L (S.E.D. ± 0.66).

Prediction of intake by cattle from degradation characteristics of roughages

ABSTRACTFive different straws consisting of two varieties of winter barley, two varieties of spring barley and one variety of winter wheat were chosen due to differences in degradation characteristics determined by using nylon bags incubated in the rumen of cattle and describing the straw using the equation: p = a + b (1 – e–ct). To increase variation in degradability, batches of the same straws were also treated with anhydrous ammonia in a sealed oven.The straws were subsequently offered ad libitum to groups of steers given a daily supplement of 1·5 kg concentrate and untreated straws were supplemented with urea. The dry-matter intake (DMI) of the straws varied from 3·4 to 5·7 kg/day, the digestible DMI from 1·4 to 3·5 kg/day and growth rate from 106 to 608 g/day.By using multiple regression of a, b, c from the exponential equations characterizing degradability of the straw, the correlation coefficients with DMI, digestible DMI and growth rate were 0·88, 0·96 and 0·95 respectively.

Resistance to carboxin and fenfuram in Ustilago nuda (Jens.) Rostr., the causal agent of barley loose smut

Two types of strains of Ustilago nuda, resistant to carboxin and fenfuram, were detected on winter barley crops in 1986. The most frequent strains are similar to those found previously and they are characterized by their great susceptibility to mepronil and flutolanil. This negative correlation between two groups of carboxamide fungicides is not found when the other type of carboxin-resistant isolates is considered. From these observations, we elaborate a simple teliospore-germination test which can be used for routine survey of resistance. In field trials, when the resistant strains are prevalent (in the absence of treatment), the efficacy of seed dressings with carboxin or fenfuram against barley loose smut is low. In such situations, which are common with the winter barley varieties Panda or Viva, inhibitors of sterol biosynthesis such as flutriafol or triadimenol remain very active in practice.

Nutritive value of danish-grown barley varieties, I, carbohydrates and other major constituents

The reproducibility of analytical methods for low molecular weight sugars, starch, soluble- and insoluble dietary fibre (1317), non-starch polysaccharides (NSP) and Klason lignin was tested in an investigation comprising 50 barley samples. The carbohydrate methods were highly reproducible with coefficients of variation varying from 0·6 to 3·9 %. These samples were further analysed for soluble- and insoluble βglucans. The materials used in this investigation included four spring feeding, three spring malting and two winter feeding barley varieties, grown in three different years on a good quality clay soil and a poor quality sandy soil in Denmark. Starch content (% of dry matter) was 1·7 % higher and DF was 2·1 % lower in spring malting than in spring feeding varieties. The lower DF was accounted for by differences in both soluble and insoluble DF. In spring malting varieties, total β-glucan was 4·1% compared to 4·6 and 4·3 % in spring and winter feeding varieties, respectively. The soluble β-glucan fraction was, however, reduced relatively more than the insoluble fraction in malting varieties. The starch, DF and protein contents were strongly affected by both year and locality. For barley varieties grown on the poor quality sandy soil, starch content decreased from 60·3 % in 1981 to 53·8 % in 1983, while DF and protein content increased from 21·5 and 11·4% to 24·4 and 13·5 %, respectively. The strongest effect of year and locality was identified in the spring varieties.

Outcrossing Rates in Autumn and Spring‐Sown Barley

AbstractNatural outcrossing is a potential cause of the admixtures which are often observed, especially in winter barley. Outcrossing was studied in yield trials with hap laid ‐derived homozygous offspring, lines from tour crosses between winter and spring barley varieties. Outcrosses were recognised by heterozygosity in storage protein loci Hor1 and Hor2 as revealed by electrophoresis. Outcrossing, was, on average, about 5% in lines sown in the autumn and less than 0.5% after spring sowing. Autumn‐sown lines from one of the four crosses studied had about 10% outcrosses.

Proposal for the identification of barley varieties based on the genotypes for 2 hordein and 39 isoenzyme loci of 47 reference varieties

Fifty-nine spring and 7 winter barley varieties in ‘The Danish List of Varieties of Agricultural Crops, 1983/84’ were examined for variation at 39 isoenzyme and two hordein loci. Twenty-three isoenzyme loci had one allele only, and 16 loci had from two to five alleles. One hordein locus had 12 and the other 15 alleles. The variation in the 16 enzyme loci permitted the division of the 66 varieties into 63 groups, while the two hordein loci produced 34 groups. A study of 20 individuals from each variety showed that 22 varieties were polymorphic in at least one locus. Eight starch gel electrophoresis with various buffer systems, one agar gel electrophoresis (for amylases), and one polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (for hordein) were performed to develop the patterns associated with the 41 loci. The polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis developing hordein patterns was clearly the most powerful single system for identifying barley varieties because of the large number of alleles.

Barley endosperm cell walls contain a feruloylated arabinoxylan and a non-feruloylated β-glucan

Cell walls have been isolated from endosperm of five spring and four winter barley varieties of contrasting malting quality. Only about 20% (w/w) of the arabinoxylan was extracted into water at 100 °C. No genotypic variation was observed in its solubility. CaCl2 (4 m ) released a further 7–10% of arabinoxylan into solution. Over 90% of the remaining arabinoxylan was dissolved by 1 m NaOH, yielding material with an absorption maximum in the range 315–325 nm. Ferulic acid was identified by thin-layer chromatography as the major phenolic acid, at a concentration of 60 μg/100 mg of cell wall material; p-coumaric acid was also detected. Fractionation of the cell walls into their β-glucan and arabinoxylan components indicated that the arabinoxylan carried virtually all the ferulate groups. The commercial enzyme preparation ‘Driselase’ liberated two feruloyl esters: a feruloyl-disaccharide and a probable feruloyl-disaccharide. Mild acid hydrolysis appeared to release feruloylarabinose. Possible structures of the esters are discussed. No Ferulic acid was associated with enzymically generated oligosaccharides of β-glucan.

The influence of pre- and post-anthesis periods on yields of winter barley varieties in southern Spain

SUMMARYSix varieties of winter barley were grown during the years 1979, 1980 and 1981 in Granada (southern Spain). Grain yield variation in the 3 years studied was a function of the pre-anthesis period (especially as a determinant of number of ears/m2). In comparison leaf area duration and grain: leaf ratio from anthesis to ripening had far less influence on grain yield variation. Though these findings contrast with the generally accepted view, they can be explained by environmental conditions prevailing in southern Spain during grain filling.

NEW MASHING SYSTEM FOR DETERMINATION OF LABORATORY EXTRACT

The method of preparation of laboratory wort by the Tepral mashing system provides a clear improvement in the evaluation of industrial malts and in the optimization of malting procedures. The equipment required is simple and easy to operate. The use of the method has shown significant differences in terms of both wort viscosity and extract yield between malt from 2-row spring barley (variety Carina) and malt from 2-row winter barley (variety Sonja), produced under identical industrial conditions: the Sonja malt gave fewer good results for finely ground malt than did the Carina malt.

Selection for developmental responses in winter barley

SummaryA winter barley variety, from the USSR, 13031, lacking vernalization requirement but sensitive to short days and more frost resistant than varieties now commercially grown in Britain, was hybridized with Shimabara, a Japanese variety which requires vernalization but is less sensitive to short days and more susceptible to frost than 13031. The resulting segregating population was then selected under short days and non-vernalizing conditions and in artificial freezing tests, in order to isolate recombinant lines.Five lines derived in this way, together with the parents and the standard winter barley variety, Maris Otter, were included in a detailed developmental study made in a glasshouse under cool, short days.Four of the lines had very similar developmental characters, namely few leaves and a high rate but short duration of spikelet initiation. Developmentally these selections resembled the parent Shimabara more closely than 13031 but the rate of spikelet initiation was faster than that of either parent and the duration of spikelet initiation was shorter. The fifth selection also resembled Shimabara more closely than 13031 but had more leaves and a lower rate and longer duration of spikelet initiation than the other selections. This selection was found to have a strong vernalization requirement.One selection closely resembled 13031 in its frost resistance but had low short-day sensitivity and no detectable vernalization requirement. The complementary characters of the two parents were therefore recombined in this line.Vernalization had little effect on the development of any of the genotypes under cool, short days in a glasshouse.

Forage and grain yields of wheat and barley

Plots were grown at the Animal Science and Industry Farm near Manhattan in 1973-74 and 1974-75 and at the South Central Kansas Experiment Field at Hutchinson in 1974-75. Hard red winter wheat varieties used were Parker, Eagle and Sage; soft red winter wheats were Arthur-71 and Blue Boy II. Three winter barley varieties were Paoli, Jefferson and Kanby. All cereals were harvested for forage in boot, milk and dough stages of plant growth and each treatment was replicated four times. A 60-sq.-ft. area was mowerclipped from each plot at each stage of growth to measure forage yields. Approximately 1 to 2 inches of stubble remained. A 12-sq.-ft. area was taken to determine grain yield.

Studies of amino‐acid metabolism in winter barley

AbstractDuring cold hardening of five varieties of winter barley, increases were observed in the level of total ethanol‐soluble ninhydrin‐reactive substances in leaves. The extent of the increase was dependent on variety. Of the individual amino acids in leaf extracts, those compounds derived biosynthetically from an α‐ketoglutarate, namely proline, glutamine and glutamic acid, showed the largest increases. Analyses of amino acids in xylem exudates suggest that the continued export of organic nitrogen from the roots contributes to the observed accumulation in leaf tissue.

The effect of benomyl systemic fungicide and the growth regulator CCC on eyespot disease of barley

SUMMARYThe systemic fungicide benomyl was used as a seed dressing and as a spray at two concentrations, 250 and 500 ppm, on the winter barley variety Pella. An additional treatment was a spray application of CCC at 500 ppm. All spray treatments were applied at growth stage 3–4. Without fungicide treatment, total yield in the inoculated plots was approximately 40% of that in the uninoculated plots. The 500 ppm fungicide-spray treatment significantly decreased incidence and severity scores of eyespot, the seed dressing being significant only for the latter. The seed dressing and 500 ppm spray treatments significantly increased mean yield/head, fertile tiller number and 1000 grain weight. All the fungicide treatments significantly increased total yield in the inoculated plots. There were no significant effects of CCC upon disease or upon yield, neither was there any interaction between benomyl and CCC.

Heritability and Genetic Advance for Kernel Weight in Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.)1

The winter barley variety ‘Mo. B‐475’ was crossed with the large seeded spring varieties, ‘Larker’ and ‘Trophy.’ Parents, F1, and F2 were grown in the greenhouse in the first experiment and parents, F1, F2, and F3 progeny lines were grown in the field in the second experiment. Heritability of kernel weight ranged from 25.3 and 25.9% when measured by parent‐progeny correlation to 43.1 and 46.0% when measured by variance of F2 (broad sense). Observed genetic advance ranged from 6.5 to 14.2% depending on the method of calculation and compared closely to the predicted.

Some effects of barley yellow dwarf virus on spring and winter cereals in glasshouse trials

SUMMARYThe tolerance of spring and winter varieties of wheat, oats and barley to infection by barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV) was examined in glasshouse tests. Severely affected plants were stunted and grain yields were considerably decreased because of decreases in both ear number and numbers and sizes of grains. Winter barley varieties were very susceptible and many were killed by BYDV infection. The winter wheat varieties were more widely tolerant than those of oats and barley.Individual seedling symptoms, although correlated with reductions in yield, could not be relied upon for accurate classification of all varieties in order of their susceptibility to infection. Symptoms of seedling infection incorporated into an index of infection permit estimates to be made o eventual decreases in yield by applying the formulaDY = 1.4 × (SH+LA+LL)+18.Thus decrease in grain yield (DY) can be related to decreases in height (SH) and leaf length (LL) and increases in leaf area discoloured (LA) in seedling plants infected with BYDV.

AGROBIOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTIC OF WINTER WHEAT SAMPLES

Laboratory and field assessment of 436 samples of winter barley of different systematic affiliation and ecological and geographical origin was carried out at the Dagestan experimental station. Productive varieties of winter barley are selected from the world collection. Samples were evaluated by precocity. The date of earing is used as a criterion. According to the rate of development of most varieties of medium. Studied field resistance to common fungal diseases (powdery mildew, dwarf rust). Of particular breeding value are varieties Yura, Punch (Germany) and Rambeer (France), resistant to two pathogens. As a rule, Western European barley breeding on the natural infectious background of southern Dagestan show resistance. In the conditions of irrigated agriculture and intensive type of farming, the yield of grain crops is significantly affected by resistance to lodging, the selected samples are relatively stable. The height of the stem is 100,0-115,0 cm. the Value of the indicator is optimal for the conditions of irrigated agriculture of South-flat Dagestan. An important yield-forming element of the barley is a productive plant stand. The variation of the parameter 400-945 in double-row; 350-689 pieces/m2 - shestibalny forms. This differentiation is associated with morphological features of the subspecies of barley culture. Grain size depends on the mass of 1000 grains. This indicator in two-row productive varieties is 51.3 ... 63.2; six-row – 43.4 ... 53.5, respectively. Found barley varieties to the metric value of 53.5 – 63.2 per g: Cornelia, Bombay, Yura, Viraca and Intro of selection Germany. The above elements contribute to the formation of such an integral feature as the final yield of the variety. The weight of grain per unit area of the marked samples is 500 – 635 g. Good productive stalk (834.0-945.0 pcs/m2) in combination with large grain (51.8-56.0 g) provide a high yield (520.0-610.0 g/m2) samples Docile, Caprise, Marlen and Merry selection of France. Varieties can be recommended for inclusion in breeding and genetic programs.

Differential Aluminum Tolerance of Winter Barley Varieties and Selections in Associated Greenhouse and Field Experiments1

AbstractThirty cultivars and experimental strains of winter barley (Hordeum vulgare) were grown on acid, aluminum‐toxic soils treated with two rates of lime in greenhouse tests and three rates in field tests. The objectives were to determine if greenhouse tests could be used for certain phases of breeding for Al‐tolerant barley varieties and to find possible new sources of Al‐tolerant germ plasm.Dry‐weight yields of top and root growth were determined after 7 weeks in the greenhouse. Grain yields were determined from field plots. Correlation coefficients between root and top yields in the greenhouse were 0.93 for the low lime rate and 0.71 for the high rate. Root and top yields at the low lime rate in the greenhouse were highly correlated with grain yield in the field with no lime added (r = 0.77 and 0.66, respectively) but there was no significant correlation between the same measurements at the high lime levels.Results of these studies indicate that plant populations of barley can be initially screened for Al tolerance in pots of Al‐toxic soil in a greenhouse. Al tolerance is apparently genetically controlled.Experimental lines derived from backcrossing to A1‐tolerant parents were also tolerant. Selection for A1 tolerance in a mixed population on acid, A1‐toxic soil in the field was demonstrated.