Winter and spring barley assortment evaluation for yield and quality parameters under different pedoclimatic conditions in 2023-2024 year

Eugen Petcu¹, Liliana Vasilescu¹, Ioana Crișan², Beniamin-Emanuel Andraș³, Simona Pochi⁴, Mihai Tilihoi⁵,

Cristina Melucă⁶, Emanuela Lungu ⁷, Gabriela Păunescu⁸

¹NARDI Fundulea
²ARDS Turda
³ARDS Livada
⁴ARDS Secuieni
⁵ARDS Valul lui Traian
⁶ARDS Teleorman
⁷ARDS Brăila
⁸University of Craiova

Keywords: winter barley, spring barley, yield, protein content, starch content, thousands grain weight, beta-glucans content, adaptability.

 Abstract: The adaptability of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) to the pedoclimatic conditions in Romania makes it one of the most important cereal crops in the country. Romania benefits from a variety of climatic conditions and soil types, which allows the cultivation of barley in different regions, from plains to hilly and mountainous areas.
During 2023 – 2024 year, an assortment of 25 winter barley genotypes was experimented in 8 different pedo-climatic regions of Romania and 25 spring barley genotypes in 2 pedo-climatic regions of Romania. The analysed parameters were yield potential (kg/ha), thousands grain weight (g), protein and starch content (%) both for winter and spring genotypes. Beta-glucans content was assessed only for spring varieties in 2 experimental sites (NARDI Fundulea and ARDS Turda). In addition to field testing, at NARDI Fundulea the winter barley assortment was tested for drought resistance by inducing drought artificially in seedling stage, and the root and shoot length were assessed to evaluate the drought resistance of each genotype.
The obtained results are revealed as the mean, minimum, and maximum values, for all parameters. Expert FD variety registered the highest value (9662 kg/ha) of winter barley assortment at NARDI Fundulea, meanwhile the lowest yield value has been registered for the Ileana variety (4172 kg/ha), at ARDS Turda. Protein content (%) had the best response for Cardinal FD, Azur, and Smarald with a protein content of less than 11%, being suitable for malting industry. Ileana variety was the single genotype that succeeded in over 65% of starch content at ARDS Valul lui Traian. The lowest value of TGW (g) was constant for the Agil variety in almost all regions except ARDS Valul lui Traian, meanwhile the highest value was obtained at University of Craiova, 58.9 g (DH 403-12 perspective line). During research activities of project, ADER 1.1.4, the obtained results between studied traits are very different from one region of another for yield potential and quality parameters, for both growing seasons of barley (winter and spring). The best varieties for yield and quality traits will be promoted as adaptable varieties in specific pedo-climatic growing region.