Registration of ‘Charles’ Barley

‘Charles’ (Reg. no. CV-321, PI 637845), a two-rowed winter malting barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) released in 2005, was cooperatively developed and released by the USDA-ARS, Aberdeen, ID, and the University of Idaho Agricultural Experiment Station (AES). Charles was named in honor of Dr. Charles F. ‘Chuck’ Murphy (deceased), former USDAARS National Program Leader for Small Grains. Dr. Murphy was instrumental in the success of the oat and barley breeding program at Aberdeen for many years. Charles was released as the first two-rowed winter malting barley that putatively meets malting and brewing industry standards. Charles was tested as experimental line 94Ab1274 and is a selection from the cross ‘Bearpaw’/81Ab1702. Bearpaw is a tworowed spring barley released by the Montana AES in 1989 (Hockett et al., 1990). The parent 81Ab1702 originated as a selection made in 1981 from the Aberdeen winter bulk designated Bulk 5. Bulk 5 originated as an F2 bulk of the three crosses ‘Malta’(PI 345518)/74Ab10082, ‘Malta’//’Moravian III’(CIho 15812)/72Ab3482, and WN 4170/12222//’Moravian III’/ 72Ab3482. 74Ab10082 has the pedigree ‘Moravian’/60Ab1810, and 72Ab3482 has the pedigree ‘Piroline’/60Ab1810 (McKay, 1969). 60Ab1810 has the pedigree ‘Betzes’ (PI 129430)/‘Domen (CIho 9562)’ and is the cross from which the selection leading to ‘Klages’ (Wesenberg et al., 1974)was derived.WN 4170/12222 is an elite breeding line from Washington State University tested at Aberdeen in 1974–75 winter hardiness evaluations. The pedigree of WN 4170/12222 is unknown. Charles has rough awns with a moderately lax spike. The kernel has short rachilla hairs, a wrinkled hull with prominent veins, and white aleurone. Charles was selected as an F5 head row in 1994 following pedigree selection for maturity, height, lodging resistance, resistance to shattering, and favorable head type in the F2 through F4 generations grown under irrigated conditions at Aberdeen, ID. The head row designated no. 1274 was selected due to favorable head type and resistance to lodging and shattering. It was evaluated in replicated yield trials from 1998 to 2004 at Aberdeen, ID. It was tested in 2001 and 2003 in the Western Winter Regional Barley Trials and University of Idaho Extension trials. It was entered into American Malting Barley Association (AMBA) pilot scale quality evaluation trials in 2000 and 2002 and received favorable ratings each year. Following the favorable rating in 2002, it was recommended for advancement to plant scale malting and brewing evaluation. Charles has shown excellent yield potential compared with ‘88Ab536-B’ (Wesenberg et al., 1998), the only current winter barley with suitable malting quality characteristics adapted to the intermountain west area. 88Ab536-B is a six-rowed winter line released as germplasm. Charles was tested over seven location–years from 1998 and 2000 to 2004, where it averaged 8654 kg ha compared with 9568 kg ha for the feed barley check ‘Eight-Twelve’ (Wesenberg et al., 1992) and 7901 kg ha for 88Ab536-B. Eight-Twelve has consistently performed well in Idaho and is a long-term check cultivar in USDA-ARS trials. Charles was tested in theWesternWinter Regional Barley trials over five location–years from 2001 to 2002 where it yielded 6961 kg ha compared with 8842 kg ha for Eight-Twelve. In University of Idaho Extension trials across five location–years from 2001 to 2002, Charles yielded 7469 kg ha compared with 8202 kg ha for Eight-Twelve. Over 17 irrigated and rain-fed location–years, Charles averaged 67.0 kg hL for test weight compared with 66.4 kg hL for Eight-Twelve. Over nine irrigated location–years, its test weight was 69.1 kg hL compared with 69.4 kg hL for 88Ab536-B. Kernel plumpness was determined from samples collected over 17 irrigated and rain-fed environments. Kernels retained on a sieve with 0.24 by 1.9 cm slotted openings were considered plump (American Society of Brewing Chemists, 1992). Charles had 93% plump kernels compared with 88% for Eight-Twelve. Across nine irrigated environments, Charles averaged 97% compared with 87% for 88Ab536-B. Charles heads 3 d later than 88Ab536-B and 1 d later than Eight-Twelve. When grown under irrigation, Charles is 8 cm shorter than 88Ab536-B and equal in height to Eight-Twelve. Under rain-fed conditions Charles is equal in height to Eight-Twelve. Malting quality was assessed in laboratory tests at theUSDAARS Cereal Crop Research Unit in Madison, WI, and in pilot scale tests by AMBA. In USDA-ARS trials from 1998 to 2001 and 2003, Charles was evaluated with 88Ab536-B in six tests. Compared with 88Ab536-B, Charles had greater malt extract (81.3 vs.78.9%), higher a-amylase activity [69.8 vs. 52.3 208C dextrinizing units (DU)], lower b-glucan concentration (149 vs. 261 mg g), higher wort protein (5.23 vs. 4.81%), and a higher ratio of soluble/total protein (45.4 vs. 40.1%). Charles and 88Ab536-B each met acceptable industry standards for grain protein (12.0 vs. 12.4%) and wort color (1.9 vs. 2.1). Charles is inferior to 88Ab536-B for diastatic power (114 vs. 141 8ASBC). Charles was also evaluated in winter–spring drill strips with the spring two-rowed malt standard Harrington (Harvey and Rossnagel, 1984) in six tests from 1999 to 2001 and 2003. Charles had higher levels of malt extract (80.9 vs. 79.4%), aamylase activity (71.0 vs. 58.9 208C DU), and diastatic power (114 vs. 103 8ASBC), than Harrington. Charles had more favorable values of b-glucan concentration (177 vs. 400 mg g) and grain protein (12.2 vs. 13.0%) compared with Harrington. Charles and Harrington both met industry standards for wort color (1.9 vs. 1.6), wort protein (5.14 vs. 4.94%), and the ratio of soluble/total protein (43.7 vs. 40.3%). In pilot scale testing by AMBA in 2000 and 2002, Charles was superior to 88Ab536-B for malt extract (81.3 vs. 80.2%), aamylase activity (72.8 vs. 66.0 208C DU), and percentage of plump kernels (94 vs. 76%). Charles and 88Ab536-B both met malt industry standards for wort color (1.8 vs. 2.1), wort protein (5.42 vs. 5.53%), diastatic power (141 vs. 174 8ASBC), and the ratio of soluble/total protein (44.0 vs. 45.6%). Betaglucan levels for both Charles and 88Ab536-B were unfavorable with values of 292 and 179 mg g, respectively. In Idaho, Charles is expected to be best adapted to the irrigated areas of the southern SnakeRiver plain. It has excellent winter survival atAberdeen in the absence of snowmold [caused by Microdochium nivale (ces. Ex Berl. & Vogl.) Samuels & Hallet]. Survival is significantly reduced by snow mold when extended snow cover occurs. Although there has been no incidence of barley stripe rust (causal agent Puccinia striiformis Westend. f. sp. hordei Ericks. & Henn.) on Charles, the occurrence of disease is so infrequent that it has not been present on any winter plots. The only incidence of barley strip rust has been in spring plots sown at locations different from those of the winter nurseries. Therefore, based on pedigree information only, we would not presume Charles to have resistance to stripe rust. Breeder and Foundation seed of Charles will be maintained by the IdahoAES Foundation Seed Program. Requests for seed should be directed to the Coordinator, Foundation Seed Program,College ofAgriculture,KimberlyResearch andExtension Center, 3793 N 3600 E, Kimberly, ID 83341. Seed is also available for research purposes from theUSDA-ARSNational Small Grains Collection, Aberdeen, ID. It is requested that appropriate recognition of source be given when this cultivar contributes to research or development of new germplasm or cultivars.