Genetic parameters and agronomic characterization of elite barley accessions under irrigation in the Cerrado.

There is a demand for barley cultivars that are suitable for the malt industry as well as genotypes that are stable and better adapted for irrigation in the Cerrado. This study aimed to estimate the genetic parameters by assessing 69 barley genotypes from different countries, from 2012 to 2014, under irrigation in the Cerrado. Six agronomic characteristics were assessed: grain yield, plumpness kernel, thousand seeds weight, plant height, degree of plant lodging and days to heading. Analysis of variance, cluster test and phenotypic, genotypic and environmental correlations were performed. Significant effects were observed for genotypes, years and the G x E interaction. High values of broad-sense heritability (> 86%) were found for all the characteristics, which enabled direct selection. The Colombian accession MCU363PI402112 stood out for its agronomic characteristics. Genotype selection based on the phenotypic evaluations was possible due to their good experimental accuracy and precision. Precocious genotypes with high grain yields and homogeneous grain sizes were selected. Due to the environmental influence on the grain yield, additional studies concerning the components of yield in this environment are necessary to facilitate the selection of more productive genotypes.