Evaluate the Adaptability of Improved Food Barley (Hordeum vulgare L) Varieties in the Highlands of Southern Ethiopia

Abstract

Food barley is a cool season crop that is suitable for high altitudes and cultivated in various agroclimatic regions under several production systems; however, the unavailability of barley varieties released to study areas was a major issue. Experiments were conducted to verify the suitability of improved food barley varieties and to select high-yielding varieties for the target area. Fifteen food barley varieties were conducted using randomized complete block design with four replications across four locations in Southern Ethiopia, from June to December 2021. The results of the combined analysis of variance was highly significant (p<0.05) differences among the locations and varieties for grain yield, different response of varieties across testing locations. Lemo (4.40t ha-1) and Gumer (3.97t ha1) were high yielding locations, while Alicho wuriro (2.46t ha-1) was low yielding; the poorest performance of varieties was observed at the main station (1.74t ha-1). Varieties HB1965, HB1307, Cross41/98 and HB1966 gave the highest mean grain yield of 3.88, 3.79, 3.61, 3.40t ha-1, respectively, and the lowest mean grain yield of 2.56t ha-1 was obtained from the variety Tiret. High yielding varieties HB1307, Cross41/98, and HB1965 were adapted to the most favorable location (Gumer), while check HB1307 was the winning variety in Gumer and main station, while HB1965 was adapted to Alicho wuriro, although it was one of the highest yielding varieties across locations. It is concluded that varieties HB1307, Cross 41/98, HB1965 and HB1966, together with other recommended management practices, should be promoted within similar study areas and agro ecologies