Cantu

Barley

Variety Description

Varieties used for comparison: 'Champion' and 'Claymore'

Summary: At booting, anthocyanin colouration is absent on the flag leaf auricles of 'Cantu' while it is present on the flag leaf auricles of 'Champion' and 'Claymore'. At the end of anthesis, the spike attitude of 'Cantu' is horizontal to semi-nodding while the spike attitude of 'Champion' and 'Claymore' is erect to semi-erect. At the soft dough stage, the anthocyanin colouration of the nerves of lemma on the kernel of 'Cantu' is of a very strong intensity while it is of a medium intensity for 'Champion' and a weak intensity for 'Claymore'. At the beginning of ripening, the spike of 'Cantu' is lax while the spike of 'Champion' is of a medium density. Excluding the awns, the spike of 'Cantu' is longer than the spike of 'Champion'. The first segment of the rachis for 'Cantu' is long and has an absent or very weak to weak degree of curvature while the first segment of the rachis for 'Champion' is short to medium in length and has a strong degree of curvature and that of 'Claymore' is short with a medium to strong degree of curvature. The glume and awn of the median spikelet of 'Cantu' are longer than the length of the grain while the glume and awn of the median spikelet of 'Claymore' are shorter than the length of the grain.

Description:

YOUNG PLANT: erect growth habit at tillering, absent or very sparse to sparse pubescence on lower leaf sheaths
PLANT: two row, spring feed barley

AURICLES: no anthocyanin colouration, absent or very sparse pubescence on margins

SPIKE: mid-season emergence, medium to strong glaucosity at end of anthesis, horizontal to semi-nodding attitude, platform shaped collar, tapering to parallel shape, lax, parallel to weakly divergent sterile spikelet attitude, glume and awn of the median spikelet are longer than length of grain
LEMMA AWNS: very weak intensity of anthocyanin colouration of tips, longer than spike, rough spiculations on margins
FIRST SEGMENT OF RACHIS: long, absent or very weak to weak curvature

KERNEL: very strong intensity of anthocyanin colouration of nerves of lemma, whitish aleurone layer, short rachilla hairs, husk absent, weak spiculation of inner lateral nerves of dorsal side of lemma, hairless ventral furrow, horseshoe shaped basal markings, long, medium width

AGRONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS: good resistance to lodging, good resistance to shattering, fair to good tolerance to straw breakage, good tolerance to drought

Origin & Breeding History: 'Cantu' (experimental designations H0516-373 and TR18747) originated from a cross conducted by Highland Specialty Grains between the varieties 'Claymore' and 'Champion' in Casa Grand, Arizona, USA in March 2014. The F1 seed was bulk harvested in May, 2014 and planted in Gilroy, California, USA. Subsequent selections were made based on seed plumpness, standability and favourable plant type, from the F2 to F4 generations in Gilroy, California, Holtville, California and Moses Lake, Washington respectively. One F5 head row designated as H0516-373, that satisfied criteria for standability, uniformity and tillering, was selected and planted in replicated trials in Alberta, Canada in 2016 and in Alberta and Saskatchewan, Canada in 2017. The variety was tested in The Western Cooperative Two-Row Barley Registration Trials as 'TR18747' in 2018 and 2019. In 2020, F10 heads were selected and planted in head rows near Yuma, Arizona. A single F11 headrow was selected based on uniformity and planted as strips near Moses Lake, Washington, USA. Uniform appearing F12 strips were bulk harvested as breeder seed in 2021.

Tests & Trials: The comparative trials for 'Cantu' were conducted in Neapolis, Alberta during the 2021 and 2022 growing seasons. There were 3 row blocks each consisting of 3 replicates per variety with the second and third row blocks arranged in a RCB design. The individual plots consisted of 5 rows, 5 metres in length, with 0.25m inter-row spacing and 0.45m between the plots. The seeding density was 275 seeds per square metre resulting in 13,500 plants per variety per year. Measured characteristics were based on a minimum of 20 measurements. Mean differences were significant at the 5% probability level based on a paired Student's t-test.

Comparison table for 'Cantu' with reference varieties 'Champion' and 'Claymore'

Spike length (excluding awns) (cm)

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Barley: 'Cantu' (right) with reference varieties 'Champion' (left) and 'Claymore' (centre)

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Barley: 'Cantu' (right) with reference varieties 'Champion' (left) and 'Claymore' (centre)