Self-reseeding pasture barley for Mediterranean drylands

Permanent pastures were successfully established with mixtures of bulks of crosses of Hordeum vulgare ssp. vulgare with ssp. spontaneum (given the name Mia Milia) and with mixtures of natural crosses involving H. vulgare ssp. agriocrithon (given the name Akhera).These crosses were made to exploit the brittle rachis gene of wild barley in order to develop self-reseeding pasture barley. No re-seeding of the pasture was necessary but a light cultivation to cover the seed in the first year of sowing improved plant establishment. No cultivation was necessary in the following years. Genotypes with a tough rachis were rapidly eliminated from the Milia pastures (F 2 bulks) because of their poor seed dispersal. Nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer increased dry matter yield. Levels of seed dormancy in the wild barley were adequate to provide a safeguard against extreme dry weather conditions and other natural hazards. Forage quality was very high, with a crude protein content of 18% and digestible organic matter of 80% in harvested dry matter. Permanent barley pastures that exploit the brittle-rachis gene of indigenous genetic material have considerable potential for increasing the animal-carrying capacity of permanent pastures and marginal cropped lands.