Variability of Some Hulless Barley Quality Indices

 Liliana Vasilescu, Eugen Petcu, Silviu Vasilescu

Institutul Național de Cercetare Dezvoltare Agricolă Fundulea

Keywords: winter barley lines, quality parameters, hulled and hulless barley.

 Abstract: The diversity of barley genotypes offers variations in nutritional and sensory properties, thus providing the opportunity to expand the range of healthier and tastier foods.
The purpose of this analysis is to characterize and recommend hulless grain barley for functional foods considering that it generally has a high content of beta-glucan, which contributes to reducing the risk of heart disease, type II diabetes, and obesity.
During the 2014-2018 period, the variability of some parameters was studied and the results regarding the behavior of a set of hulless winter barley lines compared to a hulled barley grain variety and an Ethiopian population renowned for its high protein and lysine content are presented in this paper. For technological interest, four parameters of hulless grain barley are considered in this particular case, namely: yield, thousand kernel weight, protein, and starch content.
The analysis of the behavior of the biological material revealed a significant influence of both the genotype and the year on the quantitative and qualitative indices studied. The interaction between genotype and year was also significant for protein and starch content.
The hulless winter barley lines included in this study have genotypic potential and could be used to obtain new improved lines specifically designed for foods with high nutritional value.