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CORVALLIS, Ore. - Oregon State University has announced the release of new winter habit selections of hooded barley for testing and potential licensing.

These selections have the forage yield and quality of “Hoody” plus barley stripe rust resistance, scald resistance, higher grain yield, and better test weight, according to Pat Hayes, head of the OSU barley breeding program in the College of Agricultural Sciences.

In order to further develop the market for winter hooded varieties, these selections are offered for testing through a materials transfer agreement with OSU. Interested growers should contact Hayes at 541-737-5878.

With support from the Oregon Grains Commission, Hayes developed the four selections from a cross of “Kold” and “Hoody” barley varieties.

In preliminary tests, Hayes has found that forage yields of the new selections averaged 6.5 tons per acre across locations, not significantly different from yields of Hoody (which averages 6.2 tons per acre).

However, grain yields averaged 2.2 tons per acre for all four selections, which were significantly higher yields than for Hoody (1.4 tons per acre).

In addition:

• Grain test weight averaged 49 pounds per bushel: all but one of the selections had significantly better test weights than Hoody (45 pounds per bushel).

• Forage quality parameter values (NDF, ADF, ash, and crude protein) were very similar to Hoody.

• All selections showed high levels of stripe rust resistance, while Hoody is very susceptible.

• Some of the selections showed better scald resistance than Hoody.

• All four selections had better leaf rust resistance than Hoody.

Hooded barley makes high quality hay. Up to now, “Hoody” is the only winter-habit hooded barley adapted to the Pacific Northwest. But “Hoody” is very susceptible to stripe rust, which can reduce the yield and quality of forage and grain. Hoody is also susceptible to other diseases, such as scald and leaf rust.

Non-hooded winter varieties developed by OSU, such as “Kold,” are resistant to stripe rust and other diseases.

These new selections of a stripe rust-resistant, winter habit, hooded variety may be of value to growers, feeders, and the seed industry, Hayes said.

For more data on these new selections, and for information about licensing and testing, contact Pat Hayes at 541-737-5878, and see: http://barleyworld.org/licensing.php