Evaluation of naked barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) landraces for yield and yellow rust resistance

Naked barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) is a major winter crop grown in Nepal's higher altitude hilly region. Yellow rust (Puccinia striiformis f.sp. hordei) is the most damaging fungal disease of naked barley in Nepal; it causes great losses when the environment is favorable. Evaluation of naked barley landraces for yield and diseases should be carried out in plant breeding and conservation initiatives. During the crop seasons of 2016 and 2017, twenty naked barley landraces from the National Genebank were tested in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications at Khumaltar, Lalitpur, Nepal. The results showed that grain yield and AUDPC (Area Under Diseases Progress Curve) values were highly different (p < 0.001) among the evaluated landraces. Resistance was found in naked barley landraces NGRC00837 (70.3), NGRC02357 (32.7), NGRC06026 (36.9), and NGRC02306 (38.8). The landraces NGRC04902 (3460 kg ha-1), NGRC00886 (3280 kg ha-1), NGRC02309 (3210 kg ha-1) and NGRC06026 (3100 kg ha(-1)) were found to be high yielding. The yield and the AUDPC (-0.383) were negatively and significantly correlated. The results indicated that sources of resistance to yellow rust in naked barley genotypes available in Nepal could be used for resistant breeding programs in the future.