VIRGINIA

VIRGINIA POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE AND STATE UNIVERSITY

Department of Crop and Soil Environmental Sciences, Blacksburg, VA 24061, U.S.A

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

Winter Barley Production and Research in 2009

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Growing Conditions: Planting conditions in fall 2008 were favorable for early planting with over 20% of the state’s intended acreage seeded by October 20. The high cost of inputs influenced some growers to plant later than normal in hopes that prices would fall or fields were seeded with the intention of applying fertilizer at a later date. By November 1, 49% of the crop was estimated as planted which matched the 5-yr average of 50% planted by this date. Widespread rain in November provided moisture and improved groundwater supplies in many areas. While most small grain fields looked good, cool weather in November slowed crop development. Mid-winter was cooler than normal and dry, with most of the Coastal Plain region receiving 2 inches less precipitation than the long term average in the month of January. By February this deficit was more than 4 inches and resulted in only 26% of the small grain crop rated as good or excellent. Rain in March helped make up some of this deficit and over 50% of the crop was rated good or better in mid-April. In May, cool, wet weather had many producers scouting fields for disease and making pesticide applications in response to threats. By the end of the month the crop was headed, but continued wet weather caused producers to be concerned over the potential for Fusarium Head Blight (FHB) as well as potential decreases in test weight due to weathering. By June 20, approximately 20% of the crop was harvested which was significantly lower than the previous year when 44% was harvested by that date.

Diseases: For the past three years the most widespread diseases were leaf rust (Puccinia hordei), and net blotch (Pyrenophora teres). Severity was rated on a 0 to 9 scale with 0 being no symptoms present and 9 being near total leaf coverage. Leaf rust ranged from 1 to 7 in the hulless test with an average rating of 4. In the hulled test, leaf rust ranged from 0 to 6 with an average rating of 3. Net blotch received an average rating of 4 in the hulless test, while in the hulled test an average rating of 3 was observed. In both the hulless and hulled tests net blotch ratings ranged from 1 to 7. Powdery mildew (Blumeria graminis(DC.) E.O. Speer f. sp. hordei Em. Marchal) infection was present in some hulless lines, but most received a rating of 3 or lower and the overall average rating was 1. Powdery mildew was very light in the hulled test with the exception of Thoroughbred which received a rating of 6.

Production: According to the United States Department of Agriculture National Agriculture Statistical service (http://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/Virginia/index.asp) in 2009 Virginia producers planted on 67,000 acres (27,114 ha), up 4,000 acres (1,619 ha) from 2008. The estimated area harvested was 43,000 acres (17,401 ha), up 4,000 acres (1,619 ha) from the previous year. In 2009 average yield dropped from 85 bu/ac (5,711 kg/ha) to 74 bu/ac (4,792 kg/ha). There were an estimated 3,182,000 bushels (69,279 metric ton) of barley produced in Virginia in 2009.

State Variety Tests: In 2009 there were 30 hulless barley entries planted at four locations (Blacksburg, Holland, Painter, and Warsaw) across the Commonwealth of Virginia. The highest yielding hulless entry was the experimental line VA05H-147 with an over location average yield of 61 bu/ac (3,136 kg/ha). Among the three released cultivars in the hulless test (Dan, Doyce, and Eve), Dan was the highest yielding with an over location average of 57 bu/ac (3,574 kg/ha). Dan also had the highest average test weight among all 30 entries with an over location average of 57.7 lb/bu (743 kg/m³). In the hulled test there were 22 entries planted at five locations (Blacksburg, Holland, Orange, Painter, and Warsaw) across the Commonwealth of Virginia. Over location averages for yield ranged 67 bu/ac (3,601 kg/ha) to 94 bu/ac (5,052 kg/ha). The highest yielding entry was the experimental line VA06B-48 and the highest yielding released cultivar was Thoroughbred which had an average yield of 91 bu/ac (4,891 kg/ha).

Barley Research and Outlook for 2010: The Virginia Tech barley breeding program will continue to develop and improve yield potential and end use quality of new barley lines derived from crosses made between superior hulled breeding lines and cultivars, such as Thoroughbred, with outstanding hulless lines. Other breeding populations derived from crosses with barley lines introduced from various sources, including lines from the Barley Coordinated Agricultural Project (Barley CAP) are being advanced in the program. This season (2009-2010), two advanced hulless Thoroughbred progeny (VA05H-147 and VA06H-25) and two hulled (VA06B-48 and VA06B-19) barley lines were grown in strips at the Virginia Crop improvement Association’s Foundation Seed Farm as potential release candidates. These elite barley lines have improved grain yield potential across a broad range of production conditions, and have excellent seed qualities. These advanced lines were evaluated in the Uniform Winter Barley Yield Nursery and the Virginia Tech State Barley Variety Trial; if results are favorable, these lines will be proposed for release in 2011. Last spring (2009), we made over 450 crosses in the greenhouse comprised of hulled and hulless barley parents. In fall of 2009, we planted F₁ progeny (341) from 450 crosses made in 2008, and F₂ progeny (511) from 560 crosses made in 2007. Barley lines that are in the advance stages of testing show a great deal of promise with respect to agronomic performance. Many lines have improved yield, straw strength and grain plumpness and have better resistance to diseases (eg. leaf rust, powdery mildew, net blotch, scab and scald).

In addition, yield drag of hulless barley continues to be one of the major challenges facing hulless barley production in the United States. To address this problem, we have initiated a multi-disciplinary field, greenhouse, and laboratory research project to address critical issues to improve yield potential of hulless barley. Last spring (2009), F₁ plants derived from crosses between Thoroughbred and elite hulless lines (Dan, VA04H-53 and VA01H-125) were backcrossed to Thoroughbred. In the fall of 2009, DNA markers were used to identify individual backcross progeny having the hulless gene in Thoroughbred genetic background. A marker-assisted backcross breeding method is being used to transfer the hulless trait into the high yielding hulled barley cultivar Thoroughbred. Disease (powdery mildew, leaf rust and net blotch) screening of Thoroughbred type individuals, possessing the hulless trait allowed for removal of susceptible plants, therefore, eliminating several initial crosses. In spring of 2010, a second cycle of backcrossing began with BC₁F₁ plants derived from crosses between Thoroughbred and elite hulless lines, DAN, VA04H-53 and VA01H-125 being backcrossed to Thoroughbred. This fall (2009-2010), another cycle of marker-assisted backcrossing will be performed to continue the transfer of the hulless trait into Thoroughbred and BC₂ progeny will be backcrossed to Thoroughbred. Additionally, F₁ plants derived from crosses between Thoroughbred and another elite hulless line (VA05H-147) possessing resistance to leaf rust and powdery mildew were backcrossed to Thoroughbred this spring (2010). Additional crosses were made between Thoroughbred and other elite hulless lines possessing resistance to leaf rust, powdery mildew, net blotch and scab to transfer disease resistance as well as hulless genes into Thoroughbred type barley lines. This will further improve yields obtained in Thoroughbred type barley lines under disease epidemics, and lead to the development of the next generation of high-quality disease resistance winter barley cultivars.

Performance data for an over years (2007, 2008, 2009) analysis of entries in Virginia Tech’s State Barley Variety trial was compiled. VA05H-147 had the highest average grain yield (3870 kg/ha), which was 65 kg/ha higher than that of Doyce (3010 kg/ha) and 484 kg/ha higher than Eve (3386 kg/ha). Dan ranked 2^nd in grain yield with average grain yield of 3548 kg/ha, that was 323 kg/ha higher than that of Doyce and 161 kg/ha higher than Eve. Dan also had the highest average test weight (762 kg m^-3) that was 81 kg m^-3 higher than Doyce (681 kg m^-3) and 26 kg m^-3 higher than Eve (736 kg m^-3).

Osage Bio Energy’s commitment and construction of a barley-based ethanol and protein-feed production plant that has capacity to utilize 24 million bushels of barley per year provides promise for an initial market for winter barley in the Eastern United States. The facility is expected to begin operation this year (2010) and will be using barley as its primary feedstock for fuel ethanol. Osage will not only create an important market for barley throughout the Eastern United States, it will provide valuable byproducts including carbon dioxide, fuel pellets, high protein feed ingredients for domestic animals, and eventually enriched food products for human consumption. The Virginia Tech breeding program will continue to work with interested parties in evaluating the potential of barley for this and other diverse purposes. Through these efforts, the quality and value of winter barley has been greatly improved and the area of production in Virginia more than doubled in 2010.