Stockford

Barley

Variety Description

Varieties used for comparison: 'Westford' and 'Dillon'

Summary: 'Stockford' is the first two row, hooded, forage type barley to be registered in Canada. It differs from other two row barley varieties in the fact that the awns are reduced to a hood. The candidate variety is easily distinguished from the other hooded barley varieties, 'Westford' and 'Dillon' as they are both six row. The spike of 'Stockford' is significantly longer than the spikes of either reference variety. 'Stockford' has a spike which is lax in density, whereas 'Westford' and 'Dillon' both have dense spikes.

Description:

'Stockford' is a hooded, two-row, forage barley variety that has an erect juvenile growth habit. The coleoptile is green. At tillering the plants are erect and have no pubescence on the sheaths of the lower leaves. Pubescence on the flag leaf and its sheath is weak. There is very weak or no anthocyanin colouration on the auricles of the flag leaf. Pubescence on the margins of the auricles is weak.
The spike of 'Stockford' emerges mid-season. The collar is platform shaped. 'Stockford' is a hooded barley with reduced lemma awns. The spike is glossy and erect in attitude but it becomes semi-nodding as it begins to fill. The spike is parallel to tapering at maturity and is lax in density. The sterile spikelet is parallel to weakly divergent. The first segment of the rachis of 'Stockford' is medium in length and weakly to moderately curved. The glume and awn of the median spikelet are equal in length to the grain.

''Stockford' kernels are hulled and have a colourless aleurone layer. The rachilla hairs are long. Spiculation of inner lateral nerves of the dorsal side of the lemma is weak and there is no hairiness in the ventral furrow. 'Stockford' has clasping lodicules and a horseshoe shaped basal marking. The kernels are medium in width and medium to long in length.

'Stockford' has good resistance to lodging, shattering, straw breaking and neck breaking. The variety has fair to good tolerance to drought.

Origin & Breeding History: 'Stockford' originated from the cross 'Baronesse'/ 'BZ 591-57' made by WestBred LLC, near Phoenix, Arizona in March 1995. It was advanced using the standard pedigree method. The line 'BZ 591-57' is a hooded, six-row barley selected from the cross 'Stockford' originated from the cross 'Baronesse'/ 'BZ 591-57' made by WestBred LLC, near Phoenix, Arizona in March 1995. It was advanced using the standard pedigree method. The line 'BZ 591-57' is a hooded, six-row barley selected from the cross 'CCXXXII-32' / Canadian six rowed varieties // 'Westford'. The Canadian six rowed varieties crossed to short male-sterile plants in CCXXXII-32 were 'BT527', 'Deuce', 'Empress', 'Leger', 'Noble', 'Samson', 'Virden' and 'Winchester'. The F1 was grown near Bozeman, Montana in 1995 and the F2 seed was planted near Bozeman in the spring of 1996. Single spikes were selected from the F2 in the fall of 1996 and planted as individual single rows in the spring of 1997. Single spikes were again selected from the F3 rows in September 1997, and planted as single F4 rows near Yuma, Arizona in the fall of 1997. Single spikes were again selected from the F4 rows near Yuma in April, 1998 and planted as single F5 rows near Bozeman in May 1998. Several F5 rows from this cross were agronomically acceptable (proper plant height, straw strength and disease tolerant) and were harvested in the fall of 1998. One such row was given the designation BZ 598-227. The F6 through F10 generations were tested for forage and grain yield and other agronomic traits from 1999 to 2003. Three uniform F11 rows were harvested and bulked and used to plant plots in Arizona and Alberta in May 2004. The harvested seed from these plots became the breeder seed of 'Stockford'.

Tests & Trials: Tests and trials for 'Stockford' were conducted at Neapolis, Alberta during 2004 and 2005. The trials consisted of three randomized replicates per variety, and each replicate consisted of four plots, for a total of 12 plots per variety. Each plot was 6 rows wide and 3.5 metres long.Tests and trials for 'Stockford' were conducted at Neapolis, Alberta during 2004 and 2005. The trials consisted of three randomized replicates per variety, and each replicate consisted of four plots, for a total of 12 plots per variety. Each plot was 6 rows wide and 3.5 metres long.

Comparison tables for 'Stockford' with reference varieties 'Westford' and 'Dillon'

Length of flag leaf (cm)

Width of flag leaf (cm)

Length of spike (cm)

Plant height (cm)

Kernel weight (per 1000 seeds)