Selecting Adapted Barley Lines for Central and South Texas Climates.

Even though barley is one of the lesser cultivated crops in Texas, its water use efficiency is generally superior to wheat and may provide a better crop alternative to drought stricken portions of Texas. The purpose of this research is to select barley lines that are better adapted to Central and South Texas growing conditions. Spring and winter barley lines were tested in three locations: College Station, TX (30°51’28’’N, 96°41’55’’W) on a Belk clay soil, McGregor, TX (31°23’0.5’’N, 97°26’39’’W) on a Slidell silty clay soil, and Castroville, TX (29°35’63’’N, 98°80’84’’W) on a Knippa clay soil. Head rows (1 m row with 0.3 m row spacing) were planted in fall 2013 for observation and to identify resistant lines to common Texas diseases such as barley yellow dwarf virus, leaf, stripe, and stem rust. A total of 546 two and six-row spring lines and 320 two and six-row winter lines (including checks) were obtained from germplasm found in the Triticale Coordinated Agricultural Project (TCAP). Extensive notes were taken on maturity, cold tolerance, and insect and disease susceptibility. Yield parameters such as seed size, number of heads per row, and seed plumpness were hand-harvested and measured to compare production potential in relation to other lines at each location. Using disease ratings and head row yield components, superior lines can be identified and tested in larger plots in 2014 for further data collection and observations. This research will also contribute to the extensive TCAP database and provide valuable data for gene mapping in barley breeding programs around the country.