AAC Sorel

Barley

Variety Description

Varieties used for comparison: 'AAC Ling' and 'AAC Madawaska'

Summary: At booting, ‘AAC Sorel' has a low to medium frequency of plants with recurved flag leaves while ‘AAC Ling' has a high frequency of plants with recurved flag leaves and ‘AAC Madawaska' has a medium to high frequency of plants with recurved flag leaves. The flag leaf of ‘AAC Sorel' is longer and wider than that of ‘AAC Madawaska'. At the end of anthesis, the spike of ‘AAC Sorel' has a medium degree of glaucosity while the spike of ‘AAC Madawaska' has a weak degree of glaucosity. At ripening, the plants, including the awns, of ‘AAC Sorel' are taller than those of ‘AAC Madawaska'. The spike of ‘AAC Sorel' has a cup shaped collar while the spike of ‘AAC Ling' and ‘AAC Madawaska' have a v-shaped collar. The first segment of the rachis of ‘AAC Sorel' is long with a medium degree of curvature while that of ‘AAC Madawaska' is short to medium in length with a weak degree of curvature. The sterile spikelet of ‘AAC Sorel' has a parallel attitude while the sterile spikelet of ‘AAC Ling' has a parallel to weakly divergent attitude and that of ‘AAC Madawaska' has a divergent attitude. The rachilla hairs on the kernel of ‘AAC Sorel' are short while those on the kernel of ‘AAC Ling' are long.

Description:

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

PLANT: two row, spring feed barley, low to medium frequency of plants with recurved flag leaves

FLAG LEAF (AT BOOTING): sparse pubescence on blade
FLAG LEAF SHEATH: medium to strong glaucosity, sparse pubescence
AURICLES: medium intensity of anthocyanin colouration at booting, sparse pubescence on margins

SPIKE: mid-season emergence, medium degree of glaucosity at end of anthesis, semi-erect attitude, cup shaped collar, parallel shape, lax, glume and awn of the median spikelet are longer than the grain
STERILE SPIKELET: none or rudimentary development, parallel attitude
LEMMA AWNS: medium intensity of anthocyanin colouration of tips at beginning of anthesis, longer than spike, rough spiculations present on margins
FIRST SEGMENT OF RACHIS: long, medium degree of curvature

KERNEL: weak to medium intensity of anthocyanin colouration of nerves of the lemma at early to soft dough stage, whitish aleurone layer, short rachilla hairs, husk present, absent or very weak spiculation of inner lateral nerves of dorsal side of lemma, hairless ventral furrow, clasping disposition of lodicules, incomplete horseshoe shape basal markings, medium length, medium width

AGRONOMIC CHARACTERISTIC: fair resistance to lodging

DISEASE REACTION: moderately susceptible to Fusarium Head Blight (Fusarium graminearum)

Origin & Breeding History: ‘AAC Sorel' (experimental designation CH1009-1) originated from a cross between the varieties ‘AC Legend' and ‘AC Parkhill' conducted in 2009 at the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Charlottetown Research and Development Centre in Harrington, Prince Edward Island. The variety was advanced from the F1 to F4 generation using the bulk breeding method. Eighty-two F4 derived F5 single heads were selected, including the line CH1009-1, and grown in head rows in 2014. In 2015, 4 lines were selected for seed increase and advanced to preliminary yield trials. The line CH1009-1 was entered into the Maritime two-row barley advanced tests and evaluated in six locations in Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and Prince Edward Island in 2017. CH1009-1 was further assessed in the Quebec Two-Row Barley Registration tests from 2018 to 2020. Selection criteria included yield performance, lodging resistance, disease resistance and seed quality characteristics. Breeder seed was established from the F10 generation in 2020.

Tests & Trials: The comparative trials for ‘AAC Sorel' were conducted during the 2021 and 2023 growing seasons at the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Ottawa Research and Development Centre in Ottawa, Ontario. There were 4 replicates per variety arranged in an RCB design. Plots consisted of 6 rows with a row length of 3.7 metres and 0.17 metre inter row spacing. The seeding density was 350 seeds per square metre resulting in approximately 5600 plants per variety per year. Measured characteristics were based on a minimum of 20 measurements per variety per year. Mean differences were significant at the 5% probability level based on a paired Student's t-test. Disease reaction ratings were provided through the Quebec Barley Registration tests conducted from 2018 to 2020.

Comparison tables for 'AAC Sorel' with reference varieties 'AAC Ling' and 'AAC Madawaska'

Flag leaf length (cm)

Flag leaf width (mm)

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

Click on image for larger view

Barley: ‘AAC Sorel' (left) with reference varieties ‘AAC Ling' (centre) and ‘AAC Madawaska' (right)