On Farm Evaluation

ISSN 2394-966X
International Journal of Novel Research in Life Sciences

Vol. 11, Issue 4, pp: (9-15), Month: July - August 2024, Available at: www.noveltyjournals.com
On Farm Evaluation of Early Maturing Barley

Varieties Suiting Double Cropping Purpose
Workineh Mekasa Buli
Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research
Ambo Agricultural Research Center
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.12722930
Published Date: 11-July-2024
Abstract: Ten barley genotypes were evaluated in randomized complete block design with three replications for their
earliness in double cropping scheme under vertisol condition at three locations in Western Shoa, Central Ethiopia
during 2022 and 2023 main cropping seasons. The objective of this experiment was to select early and superior barley
varieties in the study area that can satisfy the double cropping practiced with residual moisture at the end of rainy
season. The results of the combined analysis of variance indicated highly significant differences among genotypes
for most of the traits tested at 1% and 0.1% probability level. The GXE interaction also showed highly significant
differences for all characters at 1% probability except for the grain yield which was significantly different at 5%
probability level. The highest mean grain yield was obtained from the genotype Gobe (2988.7Kg ha-1) followed by
Negelle (2922.6Kg ha-1) whereas the lowest from the variety Miscal-21 (1419.4 Kg ha-1).Regarding the stability,
varieties 1, 9, 7, 5and 4 were seen to be stable. Therefore, the variety Gobe was chosen for its performance in the
experimental field and also acceptable from farmers' preference point of view. Thus, based on the results of this
study, the selected variety need to be popularized in the study areas and similar agro-ecologies
Keywords: Early maturity, barley genotypes, genotype by environment interaction.
1. INTRODUCTION
Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) is an annual cereal crop most widely grown over broad environmental conditions. It has
persisted as a major cereal crop through many centuries and it is the world’s fourth important cereal crop after wheat, rice
and maize (FAO, 2022). In Ethiopia, barley ranks fifth after teff, maize, sorghum and wheat (CSA,2022) in area of
production. Barley has a long history of cultivation in Ethiopia and its production is reported to have coincided with the
beginning of the plow culture (Zemede, 2000). It is one of the most important crop with total area coverage of 799,127.84
hectares and total annual production of about 2.1 million tons in main season (CSA, 2022) with productivity of 2.6 tha -1.
Barely is the most dependable cereal and is cultivated on highly degraded mountain slopes better than other cereal crops in
the highlands of Ethiopia under extreme marginal conditions of drought, frost and poor soil fertility (Ceccarelli et al.,1999).
Barley genotypes are different in grain yield potential as well as different yield related agronomic traits (Mariey et al.,2013)
and (Ahmed et al., 2001). Genotypes also differ in their tolerance to different growing stresses and hence evaluation of
genotypes at on farm levels for their performance under vertisol condition, where the double cropping scheme is practiced
using chickpea and lentil as successor crops get due attention.
Evaluating early maturing genotypes is helpful for one thing to produce the crop under moisture deficiency with short rain
fall or to escape terminal moisture stress and for the other to harvest the early maturing precursor crop and leave the field
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for the successor crop under double cropping scheme. The successor crop could grow and perform with residual moisture
after the main rainy season.
It had long been practiced that farmers dwelling in vertisol area grow early maturing barley or wheat and sometimes maize
varieties harvested lately or at the end of rainy season that leave place for chickpea or lentil that could grow with residual
moisture. In this cropping scheme it had been a common practice to harvest early maturing farmers’ barley variety as
precursor crop and growing chick pea as successor crop.
The old farmers’ variety grown for many years from ancestors known as ‘Semereta’ is still a common variety grown in the
double cropping scheme. Even though the variety has different merits it has high lodging problem which hampers the yield
of the crop.
The fact that early maturing barley varieties evaluated and released for different purposes made an opportunity to evaluate
and fit them into this cropping scheme.
Hence, it is found imperative to evaluate barley genotypes for their performance under vertisol for the double cropping
purpose thereby enhancing barley production and productivity in the area.
Therefore, this study was conducted to evaluate and select the best performing early maturing barley genotypes and to
identify variety/ies meeting the double cropping purpose and replace the old existing farmers’ variety in the study area.
2. MATERIALS AND METHODS

Experimental Design and Procedures:
A total of ten barley genotypes (Negelle, Bentu, Dirribe, IBON-174/03, Miscal-21, Gobe, HB-1966, Harbu, EH-1493 and
Local check) were used in the study. The experiments were laid in randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three
replications. During planting, the seeds were manually drilled at a rate of 125 kgha-1 into 2.5 meters long six rows plot
spaced 0.2 m apart. NPS and UREA fertilizers were applied at the time of planting both at rate of 100kgha-1. Hand weeding
was practiced as frequently as needed.
Data Collection:
Data were collected on plant and plot basis for different agronomic traits. For data collection on plant basis, five plants were
randomly taken from the four middle rows of each plot excluding the two rows on both sides of each plot as borders and
the mean value of those five plants was calculated and used as plot data for analysis, where for the on plot basis, the four
middle rows were considered and finally harvested for the plot data. Plant height (cm), spike length (cm) and number of
kernels per spike were recorded on plant basis; whereas days to 50% heading, days to physiological maturity, grain yield
(kg ha-1) and stand count (%) were recorded on plot basis.
Statistical Analysis:
The data were analyzed using PROC GLM in SAS software version 9.4. Mean separation was carried out using t test.
3. RESULT AND DISCUSSION

The results of the combined analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed highly significant (P < 0.001) and (P < 0.01) differences
among the barley varieties for most of the characters measured (Table 1). The result indicated yield was highly significant
(P < 0.001) except for location by genotype interaction which was significant at 5% probability level. The stand percent of
the varieties also showed significant difference only at 5% probability level and this could be because of slight difference
of the location effects within similar growing season, but highly significantly different for the different seasons.
The spike length of the varieties showed non-significant difference for genotype by location interaction and this could be
because of the consistence of similar spike length of the varieties across locations within the same experiment season.
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Table 1: Mean squares of ANOVA for barley parameters measured in 2022 and 2023 main cropping seasons
*= significantly different at 5% probability level, ** = at 1% probability level, *** = at 0.1% probability level
DM = Days to maturity, PlH = plant height, NKS = Number of kernels per spike, Stand = stand percentage at maturity, SL
= spike length, YLD = grain yield
Mean values of tested genotypes for the characters studied in West Shoa in 2022 cropping season are given in Table 2
Table 2: Mean Values of Growth, Yield and yield related Parameters of Barley Varieties in Western Shoa in 2022
DM = Days to maturity, PlH = Plant Height, Stand = Crop Stand percentage, SL = Spike Length, NKS = Number of kernels
per spike and YLD = Grain Yield in Kgha-1
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Table 3: Mean Values of Growth, Yield and yield related Parameters of Barley Varieties in Western Shoa in 2023
The days to maturity was an important parameter in the current study as it is measure of earliness of the varieties so as to
rank them considering the yield and it ranged from 99 days for the local variety to 131 days for EH-1493. Following the
farmers’ local variety, varieties Harbu and Gobe matured in 106 and 107 days respectively. Gobe variety had about 511.7
Kgha-1 and 534.7Kgha-1 yield advantage over the local and Harbu varieties respectively even though the early variety
matured about a week earlier. Studies indicated that earliness penalizes grain yield (Mekasa and Mohammed, 2021), where
Gobe variety gave the highest yield with promising earliness.
Table 4: Combined Mean Values of Growth, Yield and yield related Parameters of Barley Varieties in Western
Shoa in 2022 and 2023 main cropping seasons
The grain yield as well as the overall crop performance in 2023 cropping season were minimal as there was extended rain
continuously for more than half a year. This hampered the crop growth and finally the grain yield especially under vertisol
condition where the water logging stress is a problem in high rainfall areas. Nevertheless, it was seen from the current study
that varieties differ significantly in tolerating the problem. Fig. 1 shows the grain yield of the studied varieties in the two
years and their combined mean.
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7000
6000
5000
4000
3000 2022
2000 2023
1000 Combined 2022 &2023
0
Fig. 1: Grain yield of studied varieties in 2022, 2023 and the combined mean of the two years
GGE biplot analysis is presented (Figure 2) for grain yield using PCA1 and PCA2. The figure illustrates which genotype
performs best where or which is the best in which environment.
Accordingly, genotypes 4, 1, 6, and 10 were with large positive scores, having the highest mean grain yield in the indicated
order. The first two PCAs accounted for 100% (PCA1= 67.84% and PCA2=32.16%) of the total principal components. The
first principal component on its own accounted almost 2/3rd of the variability in the yield traits of the varieties studied. From
the principal component analysis, it was observed that genotypes 1, 9, 7, 5and 4 were seen most likely to be stable. Varieties
located near the origin are more stable while those located far away from it are more responsive to the environmental
reaction (Gurmu et al. 2017; Buli, 2023). Varieties that are located within the same quadrant interact positively while those
that are located in the opposite quadrant have a negative interaction (Laurentin &Montilla, 1999).
Genotypes have different characters in growth habit, in stress tolerance or resistance and so have different reactions to
varying seasons (Mahasi et al.,2006). Even stable genotypes may react differently to varying seasons. This is clearly seen
in the present study that variety Negelle ranked first among the tested ten genotypes in 2022 where it couldn’t maintain the
rank in 2023.
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4. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

The barley varieties studied showed significant differences in earliness and grain yield attribute and also interacted highly
with the environment and finally variety Gobe gave the highest yield followed by Negelle. There was a high genotype by
environment interaction and the first PCA with 67.84% accounted for 2/3rd of the variability in the yield traits. The first and
second PCAs added up to 100% of the total variability in the yield traits.
The variety Gobe recorded the highest yield among the varieties studied in 2022 and 2023 besides its earliness following
the local check which is highly lodging variety because of weak stem resulting in poor yield. This variety got rewarding
preference from the farmers of the study areas besides its yield and earliness.
Hence the variety Gobe is recommended for production areas using double cropping, producing chickpea and other pulses
grown with residual moisture as this variety is more or less stable within the environments of test locations maintaining
high yield.
Acknowledgements
My acknowledgement goes to Barley National Coordination (especially Mr. Endeshaw Tadesse and Mrs. Hiwot Sebsibe)
for registering the experiment to be done and Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research for funding the experiment to be
undertaken. I would also like to acknowledge Mr. Niguse Tamene, the senior technical assistant of the crop research section
at Ambo Agricultural Research Center for experimental field management and data recording.
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ISSN 2394-966X

International Journal of Novel Research in Life Sciences

On Farm Evaluation of Early Maturing Barley

2. MATERIALS AND METHODS

3. RESULT AND DISCUSSION

4. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

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