A comparison of selections of coast barley

Coast barley was the earliest type of this cereal grown in California and was first introduced during the period of Spanish settlement. Its cultivation spread over the entire state and over the far western mountain region where it has been the principal variety for decades. Before the World War almost all of the annual barley crop in California consisted of Coast barley. It now shares honors with Club Mariout and other varieties. As an export barley it has received considerable favor in barley-importing countries for brewing purposes. Important characteristics of Coast as an export barley are the usually dry, bright character of the crop, its comparatively low nitrogen and high starch content, and plumpness of kernel. Coast barley as grown commercially consists of a number of strains, or races, which however do not show great variation. Improvement of Coast barley by selection from commercial fields was begun at Chico in 1917, when somewhat over 350 head selections were made. The head selections were grown in 5-foot head rows in 1918 in triplicate, single 20-foot nursery rows in 1919 and 1920, and in replicated triple 20-foot rows from 1922 to 1926. The data for the first three years (1918 to 1920) were obtained at the Plant Introduction Station, Chico, Calif., and for the last five years at University Farm, Davis, Calif. The entire group of selections was grown in triplicate for the two years 1919 and 1920 for a comparison of yield and agronomic characters. In the fall of 1920, 44 of the highest yielding and best strains were chosen for further trial and observation. Grain yields in 1921 were very low and unreliable as a result of excessive winter rains and are not presented. The cereal experiments were transferred to Davis in the fall of 1921. The Coast selections were grown in three triple rows in 1922 and in five triple rows each for the years 1923 to 1926 with Coast (C.I. 690) as a check variety. In 1923, the number of the superior strains in the nursery was; reduced to 16, and 6 of the best of these were included in the plat experiment where they were continued for two years. From nursery and plat yields and agronomic data, 276B was selected as the best strain. It has been continued each year for further trial in the regular plat experiment. This strain has been named Atlas. In the plat experiment Atlas has given slightly better results than Coast (C.I. No. 690). Considering its yield, earliness, plumpness. of kernel, and resistance to lodging, it is an improvement on this common California barley. Further improvement of this type of barley doubtless can be effected by further selection.