African Journal of
Agricultural Research

  • Abbreviation: Afr. J. Agric. Res.
  • Language: English
  • ISSN: 1991-637X
  • DOI: 10.5897/AJAR
  • Start Year: 2006
  • Published Articles: 6853

Full Length Research Paper

Food-fodder performance of food and malt barley cultivars in Ethiopian highlands

Mulugeta Keno
  • Mulugeta Keno
  • Department of Animal science, College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Jimma University, P. O. Box 378, Jimma, Ethiopia.
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Taye Tolemariam
  • Taye Tolemariam
  • Department of Animal science, College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Jimma University, P. O. Box 378, Jimma, Ethiopia.
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Solomon Demeke
  • Solomon Demeke
  • Department of Animal science, College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Jimma University, P. O. Box 378, Jimma, Ethiopia.
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Ashraf Alkhtib
  • Ashraf Alkhtib
  • School of Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences, Nottingham Trent University, Brackenhurst Campus, Southwell, NG25 0QF Nottinghamshire, UK.
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Jane Wamatu
  • Jane Wamatu
  • International Centre for Agricultural Research in Dry Areas, P. O. Box 5689, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
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Geert P. J. Janssens
  • Geert P. J. Janssens
  • Department of Nutrition, Genetics, and Ethology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Belgium.
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  •  Received: 08 September 2021
  •  Accepted: 04 November 2021
  •  Published: 30 November 2021

Abstract

In Ethiopia, barley selection has focused on grain yield traits. Limited information is available on straw yield and its nutritive value. The aim of this study was to screen cultivars for grain and straw yield and nutritive value using forty cultivars of food and malt barley types at two locations in Ethiopia (Bekoji and Kofele) in 2018. Food-fodder quality traits investigated were crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fibre (NDF) and metabolizable energy (ME) of grain and straw. Location, cultivar and their interaction affected the performance in malt as well as food barley types. Wide cultivars differences were observed within food and malt types respectively: Grain CP: 10.2-12.2% and 11.4.1-13.3%, grain NDF: 40-2-52.7% and 38-42.9%, grain ME: 9.9-12.3 MJ/kg and 12.1-14.5 MJ/kg, straw CP: 4.1-5.7% and 4.9-6.2%, straw NDF: 73.5-76.7% and 72.9-76.1%, straw ME: 5-5.6 MJ/kg and 5.3-5.8 MJ/kg. Across locations, IBON174/03 produced most grain (6.95 t/ha), traveller produced most straw (9.1t/ha) and HB1963 was relatively high in both straw 8.4 t/ha and grain yield 6.4 t/ha, making it an interesting food-feed cultivar. Therefore IBON174/03, traveller and HB1963 are promising barley cultivars for the study area.

Key words: Food-feed, cultivar, barley, straw.

Copyright © 2024 Author(s) retain the copyright of this article.

This article is published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0

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