AAC Malcolm

Barley

Variety Description

Variety used for comparison: 'AAC Azimuth'

Summary: At booting, ‘AAC Malcolm' has a low to medium frequency of plants with recurved flag leaves while ‘AAC Azimuth' has a medium to high frequency of plants with recurved flag leaves. The flag leaf sheath of ‘AAC Malcolm' has a weak degree of glaucosity while that of ‘AAC Azimuth' has a medium degree of glaucosity. At ripening, the plants, including the awns, of 'AAC Malcolm' are shorter than those of 'AAC Azimuth'. The spike of 'AAC Malcolm' has a v-shaped collar while the spike of 'AAC Azimuth' has a platform shaped collar. The lemma awns of 'AAC Malcolm' have rough spiculations on the margin while those of 'AAC Azimuth' are smooth. The first segment of the rachis of 'AAC Malcolm' is medium in length and moderately curved while that of 'AAC Azimuth' is short and straight.

Description:

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

PLANT: six 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: weak glaucosity, sparse pubescence
AURICLES: anthocyanin colouration absent at booting, sparse pubescence on margins

SPIKE: mid-season emergence, weak degree of glaucosity at end of anthesis, erect attitude, v-shaped collar, parallel shape, medium density, glume and awn of the median spikelet are longer than the grain
LEMMA AWNS: medium to strong intensity of anthocyanin colouration of tips at beginning of anthesis, equal to longer than the length of the spike, rough spiculations on the margin
FIRST SEGMENT OF RACHIS: medium length, medium degree of curvature

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

AGRONOMIC CHARACTERISTIC: fair resistance to lodging

Origin & Breeding History: ‘AAC Malcolm' (experimental designation OB2705n-11) originated from a cross between the lines CH9926n-4 and H5368-72 conducted in 2007 at the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Ottawa Research and Development Centre in Ottawa, Ontario. The variety was advanced from the F2 to F4 generation using the bulk breeding method where 106 single heads were selected, including the line OB2705n-11, and grown out as head rows in 2012. Twenty eight selected lines were grown in a Fusarium Head Blight nursery in 2013 with eleven of these lines selected for seed increase in 2015. In 2016, seven lines were entered into preliminary yield trials in Ottawa, Ontario with three lines selected for advanced yield trials across Eastern Canada. OB2705n-11 was entered into the Ontario Barley Orthogonal Tests from 2018 to 2020. Selection criteria included yield performance, lodging resistance, disease resistance and seed quality characteristics. Breeder seed was established from the F11 generation in 2022.

Tests & Trials: The comparative trials for ‘AAC Malcolm' 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.

Comparison table for 'AAC Malcolm' with reference variety 'AAC Azimuth'

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

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Barley: ‘AAC Malcolm' (left) with reference variety ‘AAC Azimuth' (right)