Adaptation Pattern and Feasibility of Food and Malting Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) Varieties in the Central Highlands of Ethiopia

Abstract

To identify the best food and malting barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) varieties for different environments and compare feasibility among barley types, six  varieties of each type were studied at Adadi Mariam, Holetta and Jeldu in the central highlands of Ethiopia during the 2004 and 2005 main seasons. The  best performing varieties varied across environments, and site regression (SREG2) model GGE biplots (genotype plus genotype× environment) analyses  clearly revealed the pattern. The food type barley ‘Shege’ suited most for lower altitude (Adadi Mariam, 2050 m a.s.l.) environment and the malting type  ‘Holkr’ for higher altitude (Jeldu, 2850 m a.s.l.). Mid-altitude environment (Holetta, 2400 m.a.s.l.) shared the best food type, ‘HB 1307’, with the higher and  malting types, ‘Miskal’ and ‘HB 120’, with the lower altitude environments. The improved food types out-yielded the malting and the local cultivars. The  mean grain yield differential between improved food and malting types approached 16.3% while the advantage over the local was 23%. Malting grain  quality parameters, protein content and thousand-kernel weight were within the acceptable levels for malt. However, to entice growers, premium for  malting over food grain is a necessity, and its setting should consider relative yields and the prevailing food barley grain price along with the extra-efforts  to maintain quality and access market. Considering the best varieties among the barley types at each location, the mean marginal rate of return for  producing malting barley was found to be 242%. Therefore, malting barley production in the study areas seems feasible. Generally, in diverse agro-  ecologies, maximizing the potentials of the areas and agricultural technologies largely harp on appropriate technology use and efficient enterprise  choice through agronomic and economic fitness tests.