Chemical characteristics and in situ ruminal parameters of barley for cattle: Comparison of the malting cultivar AC Metcalfe and five feed cultivars

The objective of this study was to compare the most widely grown barley cultivar in Canada, AC Metcalfe, a malting type barley, with five feed cultivars. Barley cultivars were grown at one location during 3 consecutive years and barley samples were milled to pass through a 1-mm screen and analysed to determine nutritive value. Additional samples were passed through a roller mill with a gap set at 1.12 mm and incubated ruminally for 0, 2, 4, 8, 12, 24, and 48 h in 3 dry Holstein cows fitted with rumen cannulae. The rate and extent of rumen digestion were estimated. AC Metcalfe had a higher (P < 0.001) concentration of NDF, and lower (P < 0.05) concentrations of non structural carbohydrates, starch, ADF, total digestible nutrients, and fermentable cell wall carbohydrates compared with the mean of the feed cultivars. The malting cultivar had a higher (P < 0.001) soluble DM fraction, lower (P < 0.05) CP and starch degradation rates, and a lower (P < 0.001) ruminally degradable starch concentration compared with the mean of the five feed cultivars. The results demonstrate that there are only small differences in terms of chemical composition and in situ degradation kinetics between the malting cultivar AC Metcalfe and the five feed cultivars of barley reported here. Key words: Barley, energy, protein, ruminants

Chief barley

Chief is a two-row, spring feed barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) cultivar developed by the Eastern Canada Barley Breeding Group, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. It has high yield, high seed weight, and good resistance to powdery mildew and Pythium root rot. Chief performs well in Ontario and Quebec. Key words: Barley, Hordeum vulgare L., cultivar description, seed weight, powdery mildew, Pythium root rot

Encore barley

Encore is a six-row, spring feed barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) cultivar developed by the Eastern Canada Barley Breeding Group, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. It has high yield and good resistance to lodging. Encore performs well in Ontario and Quebec. Key words: Barley, Hordeum vulgare L., cultivar description, grain yield, lodging resistance

Allelic studies of new sources of scald (Rhynchosporium secalis Davis) resistance in barley

The use of genetic resistance is a desirable disease management strategy for controlling scald (Rhynchosporium secalis Davis) in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.); thus, it is essential to screen for new sources of resistance. The objectives of this study were to test the novelty of scald resistance in two barley lines from New Zealand, 145L2 and 4176/10/n/3/2/6, relative to a number of resistance sources available to western Canadian breeding programs, and to determine the source of this resistance. 145L2 and 4176/10/n/3/2/6 were resistant in New Zealand and in scald screening nurseries in Alberta, Canada, in 1998. 145L2 was crossed with 4176/10/n/3/2/6 and with four local resistant lines to determine allelic relationships between 145L2 resistance, 4176/10/n/3/2/6 resistance and the resistance(s) in the local lines. To determine the source of the resistance, all H. vulgare L. lines in the pedigree of the New Zealand lines were evaluated in the same nurseries. The resistance gene in 145L2 was not allelic to that in 4176/10/n/3/2/6 or the other barley lines tested. All lines in the pedigree of the two New Zealand lines were susceptible, suggesting that their resistance is derived from unknown parents in their pedigrees. These New Zealand lines provide new sources of scald resistance that can be incorporated into western Canadian breeding lines. Key words: Barley, scald, resistance

Timing of pre-seeding glyphosate application in direct-seeding systems

Producers are interested in whether crop productivity can be maintained with pre-seeding glyphosate application 2 to 3 wk prior to direct seeding with sweeps. A wider window for glyphosate application would be beneficial, particularly for producers with a large number of hectares. An experiment was conducted at Scott and Melfort, SK, Canada, in 1997 and 1998 to assess glyphosate application 2 to 3 wk before, 1 d before, and 3 to 4 d after (just before crop emergence) the time of seeding in narrow-hoe and simulated-sweep (cultivation immediately followed by a narrow-hoe drill) direct-seeding systems. Wheat grain yield was 25% lower when glyphosate was applied 2 to 3 wk before rather than just prior to seeding only with the narrow-hoe direct-seeding system at Scott in both years. This yield reduction corresponded with the greater median grass weed fresh weight. Yields were 15% lower for both direct-seeding systems at Scott when glyphosate was applied 3 to 4 d after seeding. Barley grain yield was 46% greater (1997) or 25% lower (1998) in the narrow-hoe compared with the simulated-sweep direct-seeding system at Melfort. These yield responses corresponded with opposite responses for median grass weed fresh weight. The tillage effect of sweeps at the time of seeding can improve the control of grass weeds compared with seeding implements equipped with narrow hoes. However, a narrow-hoe system with glyphosate applied just prior to sowing consistently provided the greatest cereal yields. Key words: Barley, wheat, reduced tillage, glyphosate, early-season weed control

Feeding value in broiler chicken diets of a potato expressing a β-glucanase gene from Fibrobacter succinogenes

Including a transgenic potato cultivar as a source of β-glucanase in CDC Silky barley-based diets for broiler chickens at 0.6 kg t–1 improved (P < 0.05) feed conversion by 8.8%; at 1.2 kg t–1 it reduced (P < 0.05) ileal digesta viscosity by 42%. With improved level and/or activity of expression, transformed potato may have potential as an enzyme additive. Key words: Barley, broilers, β-glucanase, performance, transformed potato

Comparison of N fertilizer, source-separated municipal solid waste compost and semi-solid beef manure on the nutrient concentration in boot-stage barley and wheat tissue

Composting of source-separated municipal solid waste (SSMSW) is an option currently used to divert refuse from landfills. There is interest in using this material to alleviate soil constraints. Since many livestock producers ensile their cereals, after harvesting at boot-stage, the purpose of this project was to determine the effect that SSMSW compost and semi-solid beef manure, with and without supplemental N fertilizer, would have on the concent ration of minerals in this feed. The addition of N fertilizer increased the concentration of N, K, Ca, Mg, Mn, Cu, and Zn in boot-stage tissue of barley in 1996 and wheat in 1997, but only increased the concentration of B in wheat tissue. Cereal boot-stage N, K, and Mn concentrations were higher in the manure than compost-amended plots. However, boot-stage Mg and Cu concentrations tended to be higher in the compost-amended plots. As manure addition increased, the concentration of N and K in barley and wheat , Ca and Cu in wheat, and Mn in barley increased. As the rate of compost addition increased, the concentration of Mg in barley and wheat decreased, while that of Cu in barley increased. Even though the SSMSW compost was applied at higher than normal agronomic rates, tissue Cu and Zn concentrations were not at levels considered to be harmful to plants or livestock. Key Words: Barley, wheat, boot-stage, compost, fertilizer, mineral concentrations, municipal solid waste manure

Three-component barley mixtures: Ratio effects in replacement series

Within a species, cultivar mixtures may offer yield and quality advantages if the cultivars have complementary abiotic and biotic stress tolerances. This study was conducted at Botha, Lacombe and Olds, Alberta, from 1992 to 1994 to determine the effect of relative seeding ratios on yield and other traits of 16 three-component barley (Hordeum vulgareL.) mixtures of Virden:Abee:Tukwa all grown at a standard seeding rate of 250 seeds m–2. Grain yields of these mixtures fell between the yields of the monocrops, with yields of the 20:40:40 and 50:30:20 mixtures being higher than expected based on the weighted mean yields of the monocrops. When stability of yield was measured using ranking or regression analyses, several mixtures had desirable combinations of high yields and good stability with the 20:40:40 and the 40:20:40 mixtures being identified using either method. Test weights, kernel weights, percent thins, protein contents, and disease levels of the mixtures were intermediate to the monocrops; while lodging levels were as low as the best monocrop. As the proportion of any one cultivar in the mixture increased, the traits it brought to the mixture also increased. These mixtures had no yield advantage over growing a high yielding monocrop. Key words: Barley, Hordeum vulgare L., mixtures, cultivar, yield, tolerance, stress

AC Kings barley

AC Kings is a two-row, spring feed barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) cultivar developed by the Eastern Canada Barley Breeding Group, Agriculture an d Agri-Food Canada. It has high yield, excellent seed weight, and lodging resistance. AC Kings performs well in Ontario and in the Maritime Region of Canada. Key words: Barley, Hordeum vulgare L., cultivar description, high yield, high seed weight

AC Alberte hulless barley

AC Alberte is a two-row, spring hulless barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) cultivar developed by the Eastern Canada Barley Breeding Group, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. It has high yield, good test weight, good seed weight, and lodging resistance. AC Alberte performs well in the Maritime Region of Canada. Key words: Barley, Hordeum vulgare L., cultivar description, high yield, high seed weight