CDC Rattan

Barley

Variety Description

Varieties used for comparison: 'CDC Alamo', 'CDC McGwire' and 'CDC Fibar'

Summary: 'CDC Rattan' is a two-row, hulless, waxy barley variety that has shorter plants than all three reference varieties. The lemma awns of 'CDC Rattan' have strong anthocyanin colouration at the tips, whereas 'CDC Alamo' has no anthocyanin, 'CDC Fibar' has weak anthocyanin and 'CDC McGwire' has medium anthocyanin colouration. 'CDC Rattan' has a shorter spike than 'CDC Alamo' and 'CDC McGwire' but a longer spike than 'CDC Fibar'. The kernel of 'CDC Rattan' has long rachilla hairs, while the kernel of 'CDC Alamo' has short hairs. The kernel basal markings of 'CDC Rattan' are incomplete horseshoe shaped, compared with 'CDC Alamo' and 'CDC McGwire' which have transverse crease basal markings.

Description:

JUVENILE PLANT: erect to semi-erect growth habit
PLANT AT TILLERING: no pubescence on sheath of lower leaves, semi-erect growth habit

FLAG LEAF: no pubescence on blade or sheath, very weak anthocyanin on auricles

SPIKE: emergence mid-season, platform collar, erect to semi-erect attitude, very weak glaucosity, parallel shape, lax to medium density, sterile spikelet parallel to weakly divergent, first segment of rachis medium length with weak curvature
MEDIAN SPIKELET: glume and awn equal in length or shorter than grain
LEMMA AWNS: strong anthocyanin at tips, longer than spike, rough (barbs from the tip to next to the kernel)

KERNEL: whitish aleurone layer, no husk, long rachilla hairs, weak spiculation of inner lateral nerves of dorsal side of lemma, no hairs in ventral furrow, slightly clasping lodicules, incomplete horseshoe basal markings, medium length, medium to broad width

AGRONOMIC TRAITS: good lodging and shattering resistance, good tolerance to straw breaking and neck breaking, fair to good tolerance to drought

DISEASE: resistant to covered smut (Ustilago hordei), false loose smut and black semi-loose smut (Ustilago nigra), moderately resistant to true loose smut (Ustilago nuda), spot blotch (Cochliobolus sativus) and fusarium head blight (Fusarium graminearum), moderately susceptible to common root rot (Cochliobolus sativus, Fusarium spp.), net blotch (Pyrenophora teres), scald (Rhynchosporium secalis) and stem rust (Puccinia graminis), very susceptible to septoria speckled leaf blotch (Septoria passerinii).

Origin & Breeding History: 'CDC Rattan' was developed by the University of Saskatchewan, Crop Developemnt Centre's non-malting barley breeding program using a pedigee breeding system. It originated from the cross SB94912 x 'CDC McGwire', made in 1996. The F1 generation was grown as a bulk population in a winter nursery in New Zealand and the subsequent F2 was grown as a bulk population in Saskatoon in 1997. The F3 to F4 generations were grown as single seed derived lines during the winter of 1997 and 1998 whereby 'CDC Rattan' (experimental number HB364) was grown and selected in the field as a F5 hill plot at Saskatoon in 1998. The seed from that F5 hill plot was bulked as the line which became 'CDC Rattan'. It was tested in CDC yield trials in 1999-2000, followed by testing in the Western Canada Hulless Barley Coop trial during 2001 and 2002.

Tests & Trials: Tests and trials for 'CDC Rattan' were conducted in Neapolis, Alberta during 2005 and 2006. The trials consisted of 3 replicates of each variety, with each replicate consisting of 3 adjacent plots. The replicates were planted in an RCB design. Measured characteristics were based on a minimum of 15 measurements per variety per year.

Comparison tables for 'CDC Rattan' with reference varieties 'CDC Alamo', 'CDC McGwire' and 'CDC Fibar'

Plant height (stem plus spike including awns) (cm)

Spike length, excluding awns (cm)

Click on image for larger view

Barley: 'CDC Rattan' (left) with reference varieties 'CDC Alamo' (centre) and 'CDC McGwire' (right)