R.S. Albrechtsen and
D.J. Hole*
Dep. of Plants, Soils, and Biometeorology, Utah State Univ.,
Logan, UT 84322-4820
* Corresponding author (dhole@mendel.usu.edu)
ÔMillenniumÕ spring barley (Hordeum
vulgare L.) (Reg. no.
CV-292, PI 614659) was developed by the Utah Agricultural Experiment
Station (UAES) and released in 2000. It was initially selected at
Logan, UT, in 1994 as an F6 line derived from a single F5
spike selected in 1993 from a cross of UT87B603-1266/UT Short #2
made in 1989. UT87B603-1266 is a six-rowed breeding line from the
cross WA6415-66 /UT Short #2. WA6415-66 (a sib to ÔSteptoeÕ) is a
six-rowed breeding line derived from the cross WA Sel.
3564/ÔUnitanÕ. UT Short #2 is a six-rowed, semidwarf breeding line
selected at Logan, UT, from the cross S.D.S.S. (a South Dakota
breeding line)/ÔPrimusÕ, made by Dr. Phil B. Price at South Dakota
State University. F1 plants were grown in the greenhouse
during the winter of 1989Ð1990. Segregating generations (F2ÐF5)
were space-planted at Logan, UT, and advanced by a modified bulk
method wherein agronomically desirable plants were selected each
year from 1990 through 1993. Individual spikes from 265 F5
plants were selected in 1993 on the basis of agronomic appearance, and
were evaluated as F6 head rows in 1994. The F5-derived
line from which Millennium
originated was yield-tested under irrigation at Logan, UT, in 1995,
and annually thereafter at four irrigated sites and two non-irrigated
sites in Utah, where it was identified as UT94B1058-4603. It was
evaluated in the Western Regional Spring Barley Nursery and the
Western Regional Dryland Spring Barley Nursery (1997 and 1998) as
UT004603. Breeder seed was produced at Logan, UT, in 1998 from 400 F9-derived
head rows selected in 1997. Rows questionable for trueness to type
were rogued, and remaining rows were harvested in bulk. Foundation
seed was produced at Logan, UT, in 1999.
Millennium
is a six-rowed, midseason, erect-growing, semidwarf spring feed
barley. It has a tapering, erect (lax-to-dense) spike, with some
overlap of lateral kernels at the tip of the head, and rachis edges
covered with hairs. Leaves and spikes are waxy. It has long glumes,
with extremely long, rough glume awns. The glumes are completely
covered with long hairs. It has erect (non-flaring), long, rough
lemma awns. Stigmas are heavily feathered. The seed is covered,
midlong, semi-wrinkled, with long rachilla hairs, and a depression
at the base. Aleurone color is white and 1000-kernel weight averages
39 g. Most stems have a straight neck and most spikes are marked by
a closed collar at the base.
Millennium
is recommended for growing primarily under irrigation or where
annual precipitation is 400 mm or more. Its relatively short, stiff
straw makes it well suited for production under sprinkler or surface
irrigation. In Utah irrigated tests (44 site years), average yield
of Millennium (7567 kg ha-1)
exceeded (P < 0.05)
that of Steptoe (6680 kg ha-1), ÔBrighamÕ (7104 kg ha-1),
ÔCenturyÕ (7287 kg ha-1), ÔStatehoodÕ (7225 kg ha-1),
ÔRolloÕ (6948 kg ha-1), ÔWalkerÕ (6749 kg ha-1),
and ÔBrackenÕ (6288 kg ha-1). In two years (1997, n = 12 and 1998, n = 11) of Western Regional Spring Barley
tests, Millennium ranked
second in grain yield in 1997, and first in 1998. Yield of Millennium exceeded (P < 0.05) that of Steptoe by 11.5% (5502
kg ha-1 vs. 4935 kg ha-1) in 1997, and by
15.4% (6424 kg ha-1 vs. 5568 kg ha-1) in 1998
and was not significantly different from that of Brigham (5522 kg ha-1)
in 1997. Millennium headed
the same time as Steptoe (169 d after 1 January in Utah tests, and
175 d in Western Regional tests); it headed 3 d earlier (P < 0.05) than Rollo (169 vs. 172 d) in
Utah tests and its heading date was not significantly different from
Brigham, Century, Statehood, Walker, or Bracken in these tests. In
Utah irrigated tests (44 site years), Millennium
(88 cm) was shorter (P <
0.05) than Steptoe (93 cm), Century (94 cm), Rollo (91 cm), Walker
(99 cm), and Bracken (92 cm); it was taller than Brigham (86 cm),
and was not significantly different from Statehood (88 cm). In the
same tests, Millennium's
lodging percentage (2%) was lower (P < 0.05) than Steptoe (54%), Century (19%), Statehood
(15%), Rollo (35%), Walker (14%), and Bracken (34%) and was not
significantly different from Brigham (4%). In Utah tests (12 site
years), average test weight for Millennium
(667 kg m-3) was significantly (P < 0.05) higher than that of Rollo (642
kg m-3), but was not significantly different from that of
Steptoe, Brigham, Century, Statehood, Walker, or Bracken. The test
weight of Millennium was
significantly (P <
0.05) higher than that of Steptoe (630 vs. 605 kg m-3) in
Regional Barley tests (21 site years). In Utah tests (12 site
years), average percent protein for Millennium
(132 g kg-1) was lower (P < 0.05) than that of Century (140 g kg-1),
Statehood (138 g kg-1), and Bracken (145 g kg-1);
it was higher than that of Rollo (119 g kg-1), and was
not significantly different from that of Steptoe (126 g kg-1),
Brigham (129 g kg-1), or Walker (133 g kg-1).
Millennium
has shown resistance to barley loose smut [caused by Ustilago
nuda (Jens.) Rostr.] and covered
smut [caused by Ustilago hordei (Pers.) Lagerh.] and moderate resistance to powdery mildew
(caused by Blumeria graminis DC.
f. sp hordei ƒm.
Marchal) under natural infection conditions. Preliminary tests have
shown Millennium to be
moderately susceptible to barley stripe rust (caused by Puccinia
striiformis Westend). Its
reaction to other diseases is not known.
The
generation sequence of seed production of Millennium
is Breeder, Foundation, Registered, and Certified. Millennium is protected under
the U.S. Plant Variety Protection Act (including Title 5 option),
Certificate No. 200000169. Breeder seed is maintained by the UAES,
Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322-4810. Foundation seed is
available from the Utah Crop Improvement Association, Utah State
University, Logan, UT 84322-4855.
NOTES
Contribution
of the Utah Agric. Exp. Stn., Journal Paper No. 7280. Registration
by
Accepted
for publication September 30, 2001.