Amisk

Barley

Variety Description

Varieties used for comparison: 'AC Ranger' and 'Vivar'

Summary: At booting, the flag leaves of 'Amisk' have strong glaucosity on the sheath whereas it is medium on 'AC Ranger' and weak on 'Vivar'. At the beginning of anthesis, the intensity of the anthocyanin colouration of the tips of the lemma awns is very weak on 'Amisk' whereas it is weak on 'AC Ranger'. The margins of the lemma awns are semi-smooth for 'Amisk' whereas they are rough for the reference varieties. 'Amisk' has a medium curvature of the first segment of the rachis whereas the reference varieties have weak curvature. 'Amisk' has short rachilla hairs on the kernel whereas they are long on 'AC Ranger'.

Description:

PLANT: six row, spring feed barley, spike emergence occurs mid-season
YOUNG PLANT: erect growth habit at tillering, absent or very sparse pubescence on the lower leaf sheaths

FLAG LEAF: low frequency of plants with recurved flag leaves, sparse pubescence on blade
FLAG LEAF SHEATH: strong glaucosity, sparse pubescence
AURICLES: no anthocyanin colouration, sparse pubescence on the margins

SPIKE: absent or very weak glaucosity, erect attitude, v-shaped collar, parallel shape, medium density, glume and awn of the median spikelet are shorter than the length of the grain
LEMMA AWNS: very weak intensity of anthocyanin colouration of the tips, longer than length of spike, semi-smooth margins
FIRST SEGMENT OF RACHIS: medium length, medium curvature

KERNEL: absent or very weak anthocyanin colouration of nerves of the lemma at early to soft dough stage, whitish aleurone layer, short rachilla hairs, husk present, medium spiculation of inner lateral nerves of dorsal side of lemma, no hairiness of ventral furrow, clasping disposition of lodicules, incomplete horseshoe shape basal markings, medium length and width

AGRONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS: good resistance to lodging, fair resistance to shattering

Origin & Breeding History: The pedigree of 'Amisk' (experimental designations 'M98206002' and 'BT593') is MATICO/3/ROBUST//GLORIA-BAR/COPAL/4/MIA/5/APM/ RL-B//ORE. The original cross was made in 1998 using a modified bulk pedigree system. In 1999, the Field Crop Development Centre in Lacombe, Alberta received a line that became 'BT593' in a germplasm exchange with the Cereal and Maize Improvement Centre (CYMMYT) in Obregon, Mexico. The F2 seed of this variety was bulked and grown in nurseries in Lacombe, Alberta and a winter nursery in El Centro, California up to the F8 level. Heads were selected from the F8 population and grown out as individual headrows in 2005 from which a line named 'M98206002' was selected to be entered into yield trial testing from 2006 to 2012. Purification of this line also took place during this time with 171 Breeder lines being bulked at the F15 level to form the Breeder seed. In 2011 the line was entered into the Western Six Row Barley Cooperative Test as 'BT593'. Selection criteria included grain and forage yield, test weight, 1000 kernel weight, lodging resistance, disease resistance, maturity and feed quality.

Tests & Trials: The comparative trials conducted during the summers of 2013 and 2014 at the Alberta Field Crop Development Centre in Lacombe, Alberta were planted in a RCB design and consisted of 3 replicates for each variety. Each 4.2 metres squared plots consisted of 8 rows 3.8 metres in length with a row spacing of 0.14 metres. The seeding density was 235 seeds per square metre.

Click on image for larger view

Barley: 'Amisk' (left) with reference variety 'Vivar' (right)

Click on image for larger view

Barley: 'Amisk' (right) with reference variety 'AC Ranger' (left)