Abidar, A New Dryland Barley Cultivar for Moderate Cold Areas of Iran

Line Yesevi-93 (cultivar Abidar) was first introduced to Dryland Agricultural Research Institute (DARI) through the International Winter Preliminary Barley Yield Trials (IWPBYT) in 1994. It was selected as one the most high yielding lines based on observational and statistical trails (Regional Barley Yield Trials) carried out in different locations during 1997-2000. The average yield of Abidar cultivar in advanced trails was 2138 kgha-1 which was 5% and 34% higher than those of Sahand and local check cultivars, respectively. Yield stability analysis of data from grain yield of Abidar and other advanced lines of barley, using different methods, proved its high stability in different locations. It is a cold tolerant, early maturity, facultative type, drought tolerant and resistant to shattering cultivar. Its average height was 57cm with 1000 kernel weight of 40-50 g. In on-farm yield trails, Abidar cultivar performed most better than the check cultivars. It is resistant to scald and powdery mildew diseases but susceptible to barley stripe. As this disease is seed-borne, it can easily be controlled through seed treatment by appropriate fungicides. Based on the advanced regional barley yield trials carried out in different cold and moderately cold regions of Iran, Abidar can be recommended for cultivation in moderate cold areas of Azarbaijan, Hamedan, Kurdistan, Zanjan, Ardebil, Ilam, Isfahan, Kermanshah, Chaharmahal-e-Bakhtiari, Markazi, Kohgilloyeh and Boyerahmad and Khorasan provinces in dryland conditions.