Elegancia

Barley

Variety Description

Varieties used for comparison: 'Leader', 'Selena' and 'Champion'

Summary: At booting, the frequency of plants with recurved flag leaves is high for 'Elegancia' whereas the frequency is low for 'Selena' and medium for 'Champion'. The intensity of anthocyanin colouration on the flag leaf auricles of 'Elegancia' is very weak whereas it is weak for 'Champion', medium for 'Selena' and strong for 'Leader'. The glaucosity on flag leaf sheath of 'Elegancia' is of a medium degree whereas the glaucosity on the flag leaf sheath of 'Leader' is strong and that of 'Champion' is weak. The flag leaf of 'Elegancia' is wider than the flag leaf of 'Selena' and 'Champion' and longer than that of 'Selena'. The plants of 'Elegancia' head earlier than the plants of 'Champion'. The spike attitude of 'Elegancia' is horizontal whereas the spike attitude is semi-erect for 'Champion' and nodding for 'Leader' and 'Selena'. The anthocyanin colouration of the nerves of the lemma on the kernel of 'Elegancia' is absent or very weak whereas it is strong on the kernels of 'Selena' and 'Champion'. At the beginning of ripening, the plants, including the awns, of 'Elegancia' are taller than the plants of 'Selena' and 'Champion'. Excluding the awns, the spike of 'Elegancia' is longer than those of the reference varieties. The sterile spikelets of 'Elegancia' have a parallel to weakly divergent attitude whereas the sterile spikelets of 'Leader' and 'Selena' have a divergent attitude and those of 'Champion' have a parallel attitude.

Description:

YOUNG PLANT: semi-erect growth habit at tillering, absent or very sparse pubescence on lower leaf sheaths

PLANT: two row, spring feed barley, high frequency of plants with recurved flag leaves

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

SPIKE: mid-season emergence, absent or very weak degree of glaucosity, horizontal attitude, v-shaped collar, parallel shape, medium density, glume and awn of the median spikelet are shorter than length of grain
LEMMA AWNS: very weak intensity of anthocyanin colouration of tips, longer than spike, rough due to the presence of spiculations on entire margin
FIRST SEGMENT OF RACHIS: medium length, medium degree of curvature

KERNEL: long rachilla hairs, husk present, absent or very weak intensity of anthocyanin of nerves of lemma, absent or very weak spiculation of inner lateral nerves of dorsal side of lemma, hairless ventral furrow, medium length, wide

Origin & Breeding History: 'Elegancia' (experimental designation CFO1803) originated from the cross conducted between 'Boroe', as the female parent, and 'Leader, as the male parent, in a contra-season nursery in the winter of 2010 in Gorbea, Chile. A modified mass selection technique was used from the F1 to F5 generations based on yield, maturity, lodging resistance, test weight, 1000 kernel weight and disease resistance. The F1, F3 and F5 generations were grown in Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec in 2011, 2012 and 2014 while the F2 and F4 generations were grown in Gorbea, Chile in winter 2011 and 2012. In Saint-Hyacinthe, one line from the F5 generation was designated as CFO1803 in 2014 and seeds from 60 selected spikes were sown in individual rows in 2015. 'Elegancia' was then evaluated in performance trials from 2016 to 2018 and advanced to the public trials conducted by the Réseau Grandes Cultures du Québec in 2019 and 2020. Spikes, representing 22 lines of the F9 generation, were selected and bulked to establish breeder seed in 2018.

Tests & Trials: The comparative trials for 'Elegancia' were conducted in 2021 and 2020 at the Sollio Agricultural Research Farm in Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec. There were 4 replicates per variety arranged in an RCB design. Each plot was 5 square metres and consisted of seven 4.5 m long rows spaced 0.18 m apart. The seeding density was 333 seeds per metre squared resulting in a minimum of 5940 plants per variety per year based on a 90% germination rate. Measured characteristics were based on 20 measurements per variety per year. Mean differences were significant at the 5% probability level based on a Tukey test.

Comparison tables for 'Elegancia' with reference varieties 'Leader', 'Selena' and 'Champion'

Flag leaf width (mm)

Flag leaf length (cm)

Time of spike emergence (number of days from planting to when first spikelet visible on 50% of spikes)

Plant height (stem and spike, including awns) (cm)

Spike length (excluding awns) (cm)

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Barley: 'Elegancia' (right) with reference varieties 'Selena' (left), 'Champion' (centre left) and 'Leader' (centre right)

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Barley: 'Elegancia' (right) with reference varieties 'Champion' (left), 'Selena' (centre left) and 'Leader' (centre right)

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Barley: 'Elegancia' (centre right) with reference varieties 'Champion' (left), 'Selena' (centre left) and 'Leader' (right)