VIRGINIA

Winter Barley Production and Research in 2006

W.S. Brooks, M.E. Vaughn, C.A. Griffey, W.E Thomason, J. J. Paling, J. E. Seago, and E.G. Rucker

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Growing Conditions

The 2005-2006 small grains crop began with acceptable soil moisture and cool temperatures. Late fall and early winter were very cool, while average temperatures in January were more than seven degrees above the long-term mean resulting in a boost in small grains growth. Normal and colder temperatures were experienced during February. Most areas experienced dry conditions during January through March. Precipitation was only 54% of the average annual accumulation for February, and March was one of the driest on record. The prolonged dry conditions and temperatures one to three degrees above normal resulted in tiller mortality in many areas. Precipitation resumed in April and May, and this combined with May temperatures that were over four degrees cooler than normal resulted in very favorable grain filling conditions.

Diseases

Leaf rust (Puccinia hordei), net blotch (Pyrenophora teres), and spot blotch (Bipolaris sorokiniana) were the most serious barley diseases noted in state tests in 2006. Leaf rust was prevalent in barley tests grown in eastern Virginia, and disease severity ratings (0= no disease to 9= near total leaf area coverage) at Warsaw ranged from 1 to 7 with a test average of 3 and at Painter severities ranged from 0 to 8 with a test average of 3. At Painter, spot blotch severity ranged from 0 to 6 with a test average of 3. Net blotch was prevalent in tests grown in the western part of the state near Blacksburg and severities ranged from 1 to 4 with a test average of 2.

Production

Virginia producers harvested 42,000 acres (17,010 ha) of barley for grain, about 72% of the estimated 58,000 acres (23,490 ha) planted in the commonwealth in 2006. Compared with the 2005 crop, total barley acreage planted in 2006 was down by 2,000 acres (810 ha) and barley acres harvested for grain was down by 3,000 acres (1215 ha). The 2006 statewide average barley yield was 77 bu/ac (4139 kg/ha), which was 10 bu/a (538 kg/ha) lower than the 2005 crop. A total of 3.23 million bushels (70,398 Metric Tons) of barley were produced in 2006, which was about 686,000 fewer bushels than in 2005.

State Variety Tests

A total of 38 barley entries were evaluated in Virginia’s Official Variety Test at seven locations in the commonwealth in 2006. Twenty-five hulled and 13 hulless entries were tested. There were five hulled cultivars and 20 experimental hulled lines evaluated in 2006. Among the hulless barley entries, two released cultivars and 11 experimental lines were tested. Average grain yields of hulled entries over all locations ranged from 85 bu/a (4569 kg/ha) for the historical check cultivar Barsoy to 133 bu/a (7149 kg/ha) for the cultivar Thoroughbred. Test weights ranged from 40.6 to 49.0 lb/bu (523 to 631 kg/m³). Seven hulled experimental lines had grain yields similar to Thoroughbred and test weights ranging from 45.8 to 48.7 lb/bu (590 to 627 kg/m³). Average grain yields of hulless entries ranged from 79 bu/a (4954 kg/ha) to 90 bu/a (5644 kg/ha) across locations. Test weights among the hulless barley entries ranged from 56.9 lb/bu (732 kg/m³) to 60.6 lbs/bu (780 kg/m³). Average yield of ‘Doyce’, the first hulless barley cultivar released from Virginia Tech, was 88 bu/a (5518 kg/ha) with a test weight of 56.9 lb/bu (732 kg/m³). Doyce continues to be an excellent hulless barley cultivar and has the highest 3-year average yield of the hulless entries in the Virginia state tests. Two hulless experimental lines had grain yields (88 and 90 bu/ac; 5518 and 5644 kg/ha) similar to those of Doyce, but had test weights (58.9 and 60.6; 758 and 780 kg/m³) that were significantly higher than those of Doyce.

2006 Virginia Barley Yield Contest

One hulled and one hulless barley entry was submitted in the 2006 barley yield contest. All producers planted certified seed. The hulled barley cultivar Price was grown by North Bend Farm in Charles City County, VA and yielded 156.7 bu/ac (8423 kg/ha). The hulless barley cultivar Doyce was grown by Brann Farms in Richmond County, VA and yielded 96.6 bu/ac (6058 kg/ha). Both cultivars are releases of the Virginia Tech Barley breeding program. Awards to these contest winners were sponsored by the Virginia Crop Improvement Association.

Congratulations to winners and contestants in the 2006 Virginia Barley Yield Contests.

2006 Barley Research Results

Hulless barley response to ethephon application

Ethephon [(2-chloroethyl) phosponic acid] is commonly used in mid-Atlantic barley production to reduce plant height and lodging, but is known to reduce grain yield and test weight in some barley cultivars. Management practices that produce high yield and good grain quality in traditional mid-Atlantic winter barley have yet to be evaluated for hulless barley. This research examined response of three winter hulless barley genotypes to ethephon plant growth regulator (PGR) and provides recommendations for appropriate PGR rates. Ethephon applied at 2.5 oz a.i. per ac resulted in decreased plant height (8.3 inches) and lodging index (1.2 units). With higher rates, a trend toward continued decreased height and lodging was seen even when differences were not significant. Grain yield was decreased by an average of 20 bu/ac in four of 15 site year-genotype combinations. Grain test weight was increased in one instance but impacts of ethephon varied by genotype, which may warrant further study. Labeled rates of ethephon are appropriate for application to a range of hulless barley cultivars but rates above 2.5 oz a.i. per ac should be avoided unless severe lodging is anticipated. Ethephon application should occur only when moisture and temperature are favorable for plant growth and not when the crop is under stress.

Barley Research and Outlook for 2006 and 2007

W.S Brooks and C.A. Griffey

Increased interest in the use of barley as a primary source of starch for fuel ethanol production will result in the development of new barley cultivars with high levels of degradable starch and digestible energy comparable to wheat and corn. Hulless barley cultivars have been shown to possess high levels of digestible energy due to elevated starch and reduce fiber content. The Virginia Tech barley breeding program has continued to make rapid progress in developing improve and higher quality hulless barley for domestic ethanol production, animal feed and human consumption. Hulless barley as a crop is exciting because the hull separates from the grain at harvest resulting in an energy rich grain with starch levels generally ranging from 60 to 65 percent, test weights of 56 to 60 lb/bu (721-772 kg/m³) or higher, fiber levels of 2 to 3 percent, and protein contents between 10 to 15 percent.

This season (2006-2007), we will advance around 400 hulless populations and evaluate over 250 pure lines in yield tests and select pure lines among nearly 6,000 hulless headrows. Twenty elite hulless lines are being evaluated in Virginia’s state variety trials. An additional one hundred and seventeen advance hulless barley lines are being evaluated in five states (Maryland, Kentucky, Delaware, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia). In the 2006-2007 season, breeder seed is being developed for two of our most advanced hulless lines (VA03H-61 and VA04H-53). Our efforts will continue toward the development of hulless barley varieties for specific end-use markets benefiting producers in the mid-Atlantic Region.

Release of `Eve’ Hulless Barley

Eve hulless winter barley formerly designated VA01H-68, was released by the Virginia Agricultural Experimental Station in February 2007. Eve barley originated from a cross between SC860974/VA94-42-13. Eve was developed using a modified bulk breeding method and derived as a F₅ headrow selected in 2000.

Eve is a moderately early heading, long awned, six-row winter hulless barley having very good straw strength, high test weight, and plump seed. On average, head emergence of EVE (109 d, Julian) is similar to that of the hulless check cultivar H-585 and two or more days earlier than ‘Doyce’. Average plant height of EVE (34 inches; 86 cm) is 1 inch (2.5 cm) taller than Doyce and similar to H-585. Straw strength (0=no lodging to 10=completely lodged) of EVE (1.4) is similar to that of H-585 (1.2) and better than that of Doyce (2.1). Average grain yield (2004-2006) of EVE (81bu/ac; 5080 kg/ha) in Virginia’s state variety trials has been excellent in comparison to that of H-585 (74 bu/ac; 4641 kg/ha) and higher than the overall test average (79 bu/ac; 4954 kg/ha). Average test weight of EVE (58.1 lb/bu; 748 kg/m³) in Virginia has been significantly (P≤0.05) higher than those of Doyce (55.9 lb/bu; 719 kg/m³) and H-585 (56.5 lb/bu; 727 kg/m³) over three years of testing.

Eve performed very well in regional trials conducted at locations in Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Kentucky, and Pennsylvania in 2003-2004. In Pennsylvania, average grain yield of EVE (72 bu/ac) exceeded (P≤0.05) those of Doyce and H-585 by 9 and10 bu/ac (564 kg/ha and 627 kg/ha) respectively and that of the test average by 5 bu/ac (314 kg/ha). Over locations, the mean grain yield of EVE (77 bu/ac, 4829 kg/ha) exceeded that of H-585 (74 bu/ac, 4641 kg/ha) and was similar to the overall trial mean (78 bu/ac; 4891 kg/ha). In similar tests conducted at sites in Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, and Kentucky in 2004-2005, EVE produced grain yields that exceeded those of test averages by nearly 2 bu/ac (125 kg/ha) in Virginia and Maryland. In all of these trials (2004 and 2005), EVE had average test weights that were significantly higher (P≤0.05) than those of the two hulless checks Doyce and H-585 and exceeded those of the over test means by 0.9 to 6 lb/bu (56 kg/ha to 376 kg/ha).

In the 2006, 2005 and 2004 Uniform Winter Barley Yield Nurseries, average grain yields of EVE (86, 72, and 64 bu/ac; 5393, 4515, and 4013 kg/ha respectively) over all states (5-9) were higher than the nursery mean yields (76, 70 and 62 bu/ac; 4766, 4390, and 3888 kg/ha) over hulless entries each year. Over the three years, EVE ranked 4^th in grain yield and 3^rd in test weight among 8 hulless entries in 2006, 4^th in grain yield and 2^nd in test weight among 11 hulless entries in 2005, and 6^th in grain yield and 5^th in test weight among 20 hulless lines in 2004. In these nurseries, average test weights of EVE were 59.6, 58.5, and 57.1 lb/Bu (767, 753, and 735 kg/m³) and notably higher than those of Doyce (57.4, 56.2, and 56.0 lb/Bu; 739, 723, and 721 kg/m³). Average starch concentration of EVE (62.1%) is similar to that of Doyce (63.7%) and is notably higher than those of the hulled cultivars Callao (56.3%), Price (55.2%) and Thoroughbred (58.9%) on the basis of chemical compositional analyses of grain samples (2003-2005 crops) conducted by the USDA-ARS Eastern Regional Research Center . Average protein concentration of EVE (9.3%) was the highest among both the hulled and hulless barley cultivars. Average Beta Glucan concentration of EVE (4.12%) was similar to Price (4.09%) and H-585 (4.00%), lower than that of Callao (4.36 %), and higher than that of Doyce (3.61%). On the basis of performance in state and regional trials and in the 2004-2006 Uniform Winter Barley Yield Nurseries, EVE is adapted to one or more of the barley production regions in the eastern states SC, NC, VA, KY, MD, DE, and PA as well as southeastern TX.

Authorized seed classes of Eve barley are Breeder, Foundation, Registered and Certified. Protection under the amended U. S. Plant Variety Protection Act of 1994 will be sought. Eve Breeder seed will be maintained by the Department of Crop and Soil Environmental Sciences and the Virginia Agricultural Experiment Station, Blacksburg, Virginia. The Virginia Crop Improvement Association will be responsible for distribution of EVE Foundation seed through the Foundation Seed Farm at Mount Holly, Virginia. Request for participation in production of Eve and availability of Foundation seed should be directed to Bruce Beahm (804-472-3500), Manager, VCIA Foundation Seed Farm, Mount Holly, Virginia.