Evaluation and Selection of Improved Food Barley (Hordeum Vulgare L.) Varieties in the Highland Areas of Western Guji, Southern Oromia

Barley (Hordium vulgare L.) is recognized as one of the world’s most ancient food crop, which is believed to have first domesticated about 10,000 years ago from its wild relatives in the Fertile Crescent of the Near East and Center of diversity in Ethiopia [1]. In Ethiopia, Barley is the fifth important cereal crop after Tef, Maize, Sorghum and Wheat in both total area coverage and annual production [2]. It is cultivated at altitudes ranging from 1500 to 3500 above sea level and predominantly grown at elevation ranging from 2000 to 300 m.a.s.l. [3]. Being the most dependable and desirable crop for the resource poor highland farmers [4], in some regions it is cultivated in two district seasons: belg which relies on the short rainfall period from March to April and Meher which relies on the long rainfall period from June to September [5]. 

Barley area coverage, production, and productivity were estimated to be 959,273.40 ha, 2,024,921.70 tones, and 2.11 tones/ha, respectively, at the national level [6]. The absence of improved varieties, insect pest, disease, poor soil fertility, soil acidity, and weed competition are the most important biotic and abiotic factors that reduce barley productivity [5,7]. Gradual increases in these production constraints are thought to be important in the study areas' declining barley productivity. One alternative intervention strategy for increasing crop productivity is to evaluate different food barley varieties for significant yield increment. Therefore, the main objective of the study was to evaluate the performance of improved food barley varieties and to recommend the adaptable and high yielding variety/ies for highland aeas of West Guji Zones and areas with similar agro-ecologies.

Description of the study area 

For three years, a field experiment was conducted in the western Guji of Bule hora woreda (2017 to 2019). The study sites were identified as having a bimodal rainfall distribution pattern at an elevation of 2100 masl. Maize (Zea mays L), wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), and Tef (Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter) are some of the major field crops grown in the study areas. 

Experimental materials and design 

Six improved foods barely varieties brought from Sinana Agricultural Research Center were compared to a local cultivar for grain yield and yield-related agronomic traits. Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) in three-replication with a net plot size of 1.2mx2m and spacing of 1.5m, 0.75m, and 0.2m between replications, plot, and row, respectively. Drilling method was used to sow seed at a rate of 125 kg/ha. The use of inorganic fertilizer is also advised. Every agronomic practice was carried out in the same manner. 

Collected data 

Plot based data 

The data on the following attributes was collected on the basis of the central four rows in each plot.

1. Days to 50% heading (DTH): The number of days from date of sowing to the stage where 75% of the spikes have fully emerged.
2. Days to 90% maturity (DTM): The number of days from sowing to the stage when 90% of the plants in a plot have reached physiological maturity.
3. Grain yield (GY): Grain yield in grams obtained from the central four rows of each plot and converted to kilograms per hectare at 12.5% moisture content.
4. Thousand kernel weights (TKW): Weight of 1000 seeds in gram.
5. Above ground biomass (BM): The plants within the four central rows were harvested and weighed in grams. 

Plant base data 

Ten plants were randomly selected from the four central rows for recording the following observations: 

• Number of productive Tillers (TN): The average number of productive tillers with heading
• Plant height (PH): The average height in cm from ground level to the tip of the spike.
• Spikelet per spike (SPS): The average number of spikelets per spike.
• Spike length (SL): The average spike length in cm from its base to the tip. 

Data analysis 

Before computing the combined analysis, error variance homogeneity test was performed using the procedure suggested by Gomez and Gomez (1984). The collected data were organized and analyzed using SAS statistical package (SAS, 2006 version 9.03). Mean separation was done by using least significant difference (LSD) at 1% probability level through employing the procedure developed by Gomez and Gomez (1984). In the combined analysis of variance, over year were considered random and genotypes were considered fixed. 

The mathematical model used for analysis of variance was: 

Yijk = μ + Gi + Yj + GYij + Bk(j) + Eijk

Where:
Yijk  = observed value of genotype i in block k of year j

µ= grand mean

Gi= effect of genotype i

Yi=effect of year j

GYij=the interaction effect of genotype i, year j

Bk (j) = effect of block k in location/environment

Eijk = random error or residual effect of genotypei in block k of location j

Analysis of Variances (ANOVA) 

Combined analysis of variance detected significant difference of variety and over the year analysis for all agronomic traits (Table 1). Over year analysis explained significant of variety for all agronomic traits except TSW. On the other hands, ANOVA exhibited presence of significant interaction effect of variety by year for all most all of agronomic traits except SPS, TSW (Tables 2 & 3). Thus, analysis of variance depicted the existence of significant effect of fluctuating weather condition on mean performance of most of the traits (Figure 1). The finding of the study supported previous report of [8-12].

 Figure 1: Performance of food barley genotypes across seasons Bule Hora, Southern Oromia.

Table 1: Mean performance of yield and yield related traits of Food barley Varieties during 2017, 2018 and 2019 main cropping season at Bule hora Woreda of western Guji Zone. 

Key: DF=degree of freedom, FD=flowering data, MD= maturity date, PH=plant height, SL= spike length, TN=number of productive tillers, SPS=number of spikelet per spike, BM= biomass yield, TSW=thousand kernel weight, GY=grain yield

Table 2: Mean Square of Food Barley at Bule Hora, southern Oromia. 

Key: DF=degree of freedom, FD=flowering data, MD= maturity date, PH=plant height, SL= spike length, TN=number of productive tillers, SPS=number of spikelet per spike, BM= biomass yield, TSW=thousand kernel weight, GY=grain yield, ns=non-significant

Table 3: Combined ANOVA of food barley mean performance across all seasons Bule Hora, Southern Oromia. 

Key: DF=degree of freedom, FD=flowering data, MD= maturity date, PH=plant height, SL= spike length, TN=number of productive tillers, SPS=number of spikelet per spike, BM= biomass yield, TSW=thousand kernel weight, GY=grain yield

Combined analysis of overall years

Based on cropping season productivity, the 2019 cropping season outperformed all others, with a high yield from the variety Guta (5.08 tone/ha), while the 2017 cropping season was less productive (4.28 tone/ha) grain output from the Dinsho variety (Figure 1). In both the 2017 and 2019 cropping seasons, the Guta variety produced higher yields, whereas the local check produced lower yields than all other types. As a result, we may infer that the cropping season of 2019 was better than all others, whereas the cropping season of 2018 was the worst cropping season for barely in study area (Figure 1).

Mean performance of varieties across years

Days to Flowering (DF)

Statistically significant variation (P < 0.01) was observed in days to flowering among tested varieties (Table 2). Mean value of flowering date varied from 79.56 (Local) to 68.89 (Dafo) with over all mean value of 72.62. Local barley varieties had the longest flowering date, while Dafo had shorter flowering date (Table 3). The result was considered with the finding of [9,11,13].

Days to 95% physiological maturity (DM)

Significant difference of variation was observed at (P < 0.01) in days to 95% physiological maturity (Table 2). The mean value of date of maturity ranged from 124.3 for Abdane to 115 for Dafo with over all mean value of 118.79. Abdane had significantly longer mean value of date of maturity (Table 3). The result supported by [12] who reported significant variation of variety for flowering and maturity date.

Plant Height (PH)

The study also found significantly shorter for Local followed by Abdane and longer for Harbu, Dinsho, Guta, Dafo and Biftu for mean value of Plant Height (Table 2). The highest plant height was recorded for Harbu variety (100.53 cm) while the lowest plant height was recorded for local variety (77.62 cm) (Table 3). [10] found similar significant difference among different food barely genotypes in their study. 

Spike Length (SL) 

The analysis of variance showed that there was significant (P< 0.05) difference among the tested varieties in spike length (Table 2). The tallest spike length was recorded for Guta (10.82 cm), while Local check (9.94 cm) was the shortest (Table 3).  

Productive Tiller Number (TN) 

The analysis of variance showed that there was significant (P< 0.01) difference among the tested varieties in spike length (Table 2). The highest tiller number was recorded for Guta while the lowest was recorded for local check Table 3). 

Above ground biomass (BM) 

Statistically significant variation (P< 0.05) was observed in total biomass among tested varieties (Table 2). The highest biomass was obtained from Dinsho (9.72 tone/ha) while the lowest biomass was obtained from Biftu variety (7.22 tone/ha) (Table 3). Significant difference among genotypes in above ground bilmass was reported by on malty barely on their study of Malt Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) Varieties evaluation for yield and quality traits in Eastern Amhara Regional State, Ethiopia. 

Grain Yield (GY) 

Statistically significant variation (P< 0.05) was observed in total biomass among tested varieties (Table 2). The mean value of grain yield varied from 2.68 tone/ha (Local check) to 4.68 tone/ha (Guta) (Table 3). The yield advantage 42.74%, and 40.58% was estimated for Guta and Dinsho, respectively over the local check. Different authors reported significant different among food barely genotypes [10,13-15].

The experiment was conducted for three consultive years (2017-2019) at location of Bule hora districts to select food barley varieties that have a good performance in terms of yield and other different parameters. From the Overall years result, Guta variety was found superior over all other varieties tested grain yield and other important parameters. Therefore, Guta variety was recommended for production at Bule Hora and other similar agro ecologies of southern Oromia.

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