CDC Copper

Barley

Variety Description

Varieties used for comparison: 'CDC Copeland' and 'AC Metcalfe'

Summary: At booting, the frequency of plants with recurved flag leaves for 'CDC Copper' is absent or very low to low whereas the frequency is medium for 'CDC Copeland'. The flag leaf of 'CDC Copper' is shorter and wider than that of 'CDC Copeland'. The anthocyanin colouration on the tips of the lemma awns is of weak to medium intensity for 'CDC Copper' whereas it is very weak to weak for 'CDC Copeland' and absent or very weak for 'AC Metcalfe'. At the beginning of ripening, the plant height, which includes the awns, of 'CDC Copper' is shorter than that of the reference varieties. 'CDC Copper' has a longer spike, excluding the awns, than the spike of 'AC Metcalfe'. 'CDC Copper' has a medium curvature of the first segment of the rachis whereas the reference varieties have weak curvature.

Description:

PLANT: two row, spring malting-type, absent or very low to low frequency of plants with recurved flag leaves
YOUNG PLANT: semi-erect growth habit at tillering, absent or very sparse pubescence on lower leaf sheaths

FLAG LEAF BLADE (AT BOOTING): absent or very sparse pubescence
FLAG LEAF SHEATH: medium to strong glaucosity, absent or very sparse pubescence
AURICLES: medium intensity of anthocyanin colouration, sparse pubescence on margins

SPIKE: mid-season emergence, medium glaucosity at end of anthesis, semi-erect attitude, parallel sided shape, lax, sterile spikelet parallel to weakly divergent, glume and awn of median spikelet are equal to length of grain
LEMMA AWNS: weak to medium intensity of anthocyanin colouration of tips, longer than length of spike, rough spiculations on margins
FIRST SEGMENT OF RACHIS: short to medium, medium curvature

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

AGRONOMY: fair resistance to lodging, good resistance to shattering, good tolerance to straw breakage, fair to good tolerance to drought, good malting quality

DISEASE REACTION: moderately resistant to Scald (Rhynchosporium secalis)

Origin & Breeding History: 'CDC Copper' (experimental designations 'TR14150' and 'SM110530') originated from the cross between 'TR08116' and 'SB050739' made under glass greenhouse at the Crop Development Centre at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon in 2007 using a bulk breeding system. Grown as bulk populations, the F1 and F3 generations were harvested in spring 2008 and 2009 respectively in a winter nurseries in Leeston, New Zealand whereas the F2 generation was grown in summer 2008 in Saskatoon. The F4 generation was grown in 2009 as a space planted population in Saskatoon from which individual spikes were harvested and selected for general seed characteristics and then grown in 2010 in the field as F5 hill plots in Saskatoon. The seed from the selected F5 hill plot was bulked as the line 'SM110530'. 'SM110530' was tested in the Crop Development Centre yield trials in 2011 to 2013 followed by testing in the Western Canadian Two-Row Barley Cooperative Trials as 'TR14150' during 2014 and 2015. It was further tested in the Collaborative Barley Trials during the 2015 and 2016 growing seasons. Selection criteria included yield, plant height, resistance to stem rust, net blotch and scald as well as grain protein content and malting properties.

Tests & Trials: The comparative trials for 'CDC Copper' were conducted at the University of Saskatchewan Crop Science Field Laboratory in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan during the 2017 and 2018 growing seasons. The trials were planted in a RCB design and consisted of 3 replicates for each variety in 2017 and of 4 replicates for each variety in 2018. Each 4.5 metre squared plot consisted of 5 rows 3.66 metres in length with a row spacing of 0.2 metres. The planting density was 215 plants per square metre. Measured characteristics were based on a minimum of 30 measurements in 2017 and 48 measurements in 2018. The mean differences were significant at the 5% probability level based on LSD values.

Comparison tables for 'CDC Copper' with reference varieties 'CDC Copeland' and 'AC Metcalfe'

Flag leaf length (cm)

Flag leaf width (mm)

Plant height (including awns) (cm)

Spike length (excluding awns) (cm)

Click on image for larger view

Barley: 'CDC Copper' (centre) with reference varieties 'CDC Copeland' (left) and 'AC Metcalfe' (right)

Click on image for larger view

Barley: 'CDC Copper' (centre) with reference varieties 'CDC Copeland' (left) and 'AC Metcalfe' (right)