Yield Comparison of Some Iranian Barley Genotypes in Saline Areas of Karkhe River Basin

Barley next to wheat is the most important and widely adapted food cereal in the lower parts of Karkhe River Basin. This crop is one of the most salt-tolerant crop species. Varieties of the crop differ considerably in their ability to tolerate salinity. These differences can be used for selecting high yielding varieties under saline conditions. A field experiment was conducted in Dasht-e Azadegan, Khuzestan province, during 2005-2008. The treatments included two barley cultivars (Afzal, & Reyhan) and four barley lines (Karon × Kavir, M80-9, M81-19 and On-4). The experimental design was randomized complete blocks with three replications. Combined analysis of variance showed that On-4 and Afzal produced the highest and lowest grain yields regardless of the year, respectively. The mean grain yield of On-4, Reyhan, M80-9, M81-19, Karon × Kavir and Afzal were 3.33, 3.12, 2.82, 3.01, 2.91 and 1.65 t/ha, respectively. Grain yield of barley genotypes were highly correlated with stem height and biological yield. There was no significant correlation between grain yield and stem length, kernel per spike, kernel weight and harvest index. Based on the results varieties such as On-4 and M81-19 produced more yield in saline conditions and could be considered as new barley genotypes for the lower parts of the KRB.