Abstract:

To address the shortage of forage barley varieties and the scarcity of high-quality germplasm resources in the cold and arid areas of Gansu Province, this study aims to identify excellent forage barley germplasm suitable for planting in local region. We analyzed agronomic traits (plant height, tiller number, fresh weight, dry weight, and leaf area) and nutritional value (crude protein, crude fat, crude ash, crude fiber, acid detergent fiber, neutral detergent fiber, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus) related indices at the jointing stage in 19 Chinese and international barley germplasm resources that planted at the Huangyang Town Experimental Station of Gansu Academy of Agricultural Sciences. A comprehensive evaluation was conducted using analysis of variance, correlation analysis, and principal component analysis. The results showed that (1) there were significant differences in agronomic traits and nutritional value among the barley germplasm resources (P<0.05). The coefficients of variation for fresh weight and dry weight exceeded 40%, indicating a rich genetic diversity. (2) The plant height of ‘Kuanying barley’ (57.3 cm) and ‘Zhongnuo 8’ (55.8 cm) was significantly higher than that of other germplasm resources, while ‘Gansimai 1’ had the strongest tillering ability (5 tillers per plant). (3) ‘Zangqing 18’ performed prominently in nutritional value, characterized by low crude fiber content (19.71%), low acid-detergent fiber content, high phosphorus content, and high feeding value (170.42). (4) Through comprehensive evaluation at the jointing stage, the germplasm resources ‘Zangqing 18’, ‘Erleng barley’, ‘Longsimai 7’, ‘Huangzhong Changmang’, and ‘Kuanying barley’ showed good overall performance under cold and arid conditions in Gansu Province. These germplasm resources are suitable for large-scale promotion and planting as forage barley in the region and can also serve as parent materials for breeding high-yielding and stable forage barley varieties. Future studies may involve multi-location and multi-year field trials to further validate the application value of the superior germplasm materials by integrating yield, stress resistance, and feeding effects, thereby providing more comprehensive support for the development of the forage industry in cold and arid regions.

Key words: forage barley, germplasm resources, nutritional value, comprehensive evaluation