Yield and Quality of Spring Barley Genotypes in the Transylvanian Plateau

Ioana Crișan, Florin Russu, Adina Tărău, Camelia Urdă

Agricultural Research and Development Station Turda

Keywords: spring barley, genotype, yield, quality, environmental conditions.

Abstract: In the context of current climate change, evaluating the yield and quality of spring barley genotypes under varying pedoclimatic conditions is essential for identifying optimal cultivation areas. At the Agricultural Research and Development Station (ARDS) Turda, a comparative trial was conducted over three consecutive growing seasons (2021-2023), including both established varieties and promising breeding lines of spring barley. Two lines (To 2033/18 and To 1990/18) were recently registered as varieties under the names Ioana and Dumbrăvița.
The experiment was arranged in a randomized complete block design with five replications and included 25 spring barley genotypes. Yield stability of the new genotypes was additionally assessed under diverse environmental conditions at four SIVTR testing sites (Hărman, Dej, Rădăuți, and Sibiu).
During 2021-2023, the new spring barley genotypes developed at Turda demonstrated high and stable yields. The Ioana variety (To 2033/18) achieved yields ranging from 6,000 to 7,700 kg/ha, with the highest yields recorded at Dej and Sibiu, indicating a strong yield potential. The Dumbrăvița line (To 1990/18) recorded average yields between 5,500 and 6,800 kg/ha, with uniform and stable performance across sites, demonstrating adaptability to different growing conditions. The superiority of the new genotypes over the control (Romanița) confirms the progress achieved in barley breeding at ARDS Turda.
Protein content ranged from 10.28% to 11.38% among the tested material. In conclusion, Ioana is an intensive genotype combining high yield potential under favorable conditions with suitability for the malting industry, whereas Dumbrăvița is characterized by pronounced stability and high ecological plasticity.