Current problems of barley breeding in Azerbaijan

Abstract

The aim and tasks of the study. The aim of the study was to identify and select introduced from İCARDA barley accessions from a collection, which would have a complex of valuable economic features for practical use in breeding for salt tolerance, resistance to drought, diseases, as well as lodging resistance on irrigation in Azerbaijan.

Material and methods. The dryland experiments on drought resistance were carried out at Gobustan and Jalilabad Zonal Experiment Stations, Shekin Experiment Farm of Azerbaijan Institute of Agriculture in 2006-2014; on salt tolerance - at Shirvan Experiment Station in Azerbaijan Scientific-Research Institute of Cotton; in optimal conditions of irrigation - at Absheron Production and Experiment Farm and Terter Zonal Experiment Station. The study included more than 2,000 barley accessions.

To assess the degree of soil salinity, the VA Kovda and GZ Azizov’s scale was used. Variations in the yield structure elements and yield capacity in comparison with the standard served as an index of resistance to stress.

The study, phenological observations and evaluation of variety resistance to diseases were performed according to the International Classifier CMEA. Diseases were assessed on the natural infectious background in the phase of leaf-tube formation-ear formation. Lodging resistance was evaluated in the phase of ear formation-ripening.

Results and discussion. According to the duration of the vegetation period, the accessions were divided into early-ripening (5-9 days earlier than the standard), mid-ripening (simultaneously with the standard or 1-4 days later) and late-ripening (5 or more days later than the standard). Genetic sources of earliness (176-190 days) were identified.

According to the plant height, accessions were divided into five groups: 41-60 cm- semi-dwarf (138 accessions); 61-70 cm– short-growing (691 accessions); 71-80 cm– medium short-growing (827 accessions); 81-90 cm- medium-growing (301 accessions); and 96-110 cm- medium tall-growing (43 accessions). Morphological analysis demonstrated that the majority of lodging accessions were tall-growing. All the short-growing and medium short-growing varieties generally had resistance of 7-9 points. There is a negative correlation (r = - 0.418) between plant height and lodging resistance.

Differences in susceptibility to plant diseases were noticeable between varieties. Among the studied accessions, 43.1% were mildly or moderately affected (1-5 points) by powdery mildew and barley leaf stripe disease. Approximately the same number (42.9%) were resistant (7 points), and only 14% were highly resistant (9 points).

Among the elements of the productivity structure, 100-grain weight, ear length, spikelet number per ear comparatively less varied under stress, and productive tillering, kernel number per ear and grain yield varied the most strongly. These figures parameters slightly changed in stress-tolerant accessions.

Conclusions. Thus, we selected accessions having a complex economically valuable features, which are worth more attention as source material for breeding barley varieties in different regions of Azerbaijan.