Conlon

Barley

Variety Description

Variety used for comparison: 'AC Metcalfe'

Summary: 'Conlon' is a two-row, feed and malting barley variety that matures approximately four days earlier than 'AC Metcalfe'. 'Conlon' has smooth lemma awns which are longer than the spike, whereas 'AC Metcalfe' has rough awns which are equal in length to the spike. 'Conlon' has a less dense spike with plumper kernels than 'AC Metcalfe'. The glume awn in 'Conlon' is equal in length to the kernel, while in 'AC Metcalfe' the glume awn is longer than the kernel.

Description:

'Conlon' is a two-row, spring, feed and malting barley variety which, at booting, has weak pubescence on the blade and sheath of the flag leaf. There is a medium to high frequency of plants with recurved flag leaves. There is no anthocyanin colouration and weak pubescence on the auricles of the flag leaf.

The spike of 'Conlon' emerges very early and is semi-erect in attitude and parallel in shape. The collar is open. The lemma awns have no anthocyanin colouration at the tips. The spike is medium in density. The sterile spikelet has a divergent attitude. The first segment of the rachis is short to medium in length and weakly curved. The glume and awn of the median spikelet are equal in length to the grain. The lemma awns are longer than the spike and are smooth (few barbs at tip only).

The kernel of 'Conlon' has a husk. The nerves of the lemma have no anthocyanin colouration. The rachilla hairs are long and there is no hairiness of the ventral furrow. The kernel of 'Conlon' is medium in length and broad in width.

Origin & Breeding History: The original cross (C2-88-207) from which 'Conlon' was selected, was made in a greenhouse at North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota in the fall of 1988. An F3 plant from the cross 'Bowman'*2/DWS1008 was the female parent and ND10232 was the male parent. The original ND13299 line was an F3 derived selection made in 1991 from the C2-88-207 cross. The cross was made to examine the morphological effects of a semi-dwarf gene. Since ND13299 was a control line for the study, it does not have the semi-dwarf gene. The original ND13299 line was reselected in the fall of 1993 and one F6 plant was increased as ND13299. Field tests indicated that ND13299 lacks the Ryd2 gene for Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus. ND13299 was released by North Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station in April 1996 as 'Conlon'.

Tests & Trials: Tests and trials for 'Conlon' were conducted at Pilot Mound, Manitoba during 2002 and 2003. The trials consisted of large field plots of each variety. The candidate variety plot was adjacent to the reference variety. Measured characteristics were based on a minimum of 50 measurements.

Comparison tables for 'Conlon' with reference variety 'AC Metcalfe'

Flag leaf length (cm)

Flag leaf width (mm)

Plant height (including spike and awns) (cm)

Spike length (excluding awns) (cm)

Kernel weight (grams per 1000 kernels)