FORAGE AND SEED YIELD OF BARLEY (Hordeum vulgare L.) CULTIVARS UNDER RAINFED CONDITIONS OF POTHWAR REGION IN PAKISTAN

Abstract

Livestock is an important asset of the rural community and plays a vital role in livelihood and intensification of agricultural productivity in rainfed farming systems. In this study, local (HAIDER, SNOBER-96, and JAU-83) and foreign (ICABA and ASTARIAN) barley cultivars were evaluated for forage and seed yield under rainfed conditions of Pothwar, Pakistan. The experimental design was randomized complete block with three replications. Variables analyzed were plant height, tillers per plant, shoot/root/spike dry weight, forage and seed yields. Local cultivar JAU-83 gave the maximum plant height, tillers per plant, forage (8.95 Mg ha?1 ) and seed (1.76 Mg ha?1 ) yields, whereas the lowest forage (4.04 Mg ha?1 ) and seed yields (1.31 Mg ha?1 ) were recorded in the foreign cultivar ASTARIAN. Local barley cultivars are a best option for the rainfed conditions of Pothwar Pakistan in terms of forage and seed yields than foreign cultivars.