New variety of barley: Arba

Obtained from the best barleys of six races developed in the national public improvement program, widely cultivated in Spain (Cierzo, Yuriko, Estrella), with the additional contribution of a local Spanish variety of good performance, identified in the CSIC.

Market need: The cereal market and society demand new varieties with greater resistance to diseases, stresses, and adapted to climate change, but also that maintain the rusticity with the terrain and the productivity of the varieties that arouse the greatest interest among producers. Hard research work has been necessary in terms of genetic improvement, to make available to the sector varieties better adapted to current edaphoclimatic conditions.

Proposed solution: It is an alternative variety, with low vernalization requirements, which makes it appropriate for a wide range of environments and plantings, although it stands out mainly in productive environments. It is suitable for late autumn or early winter sowing, due to its precocity induced by the high sensitivity to the long photoperiod. This variety is the result of crosses in which varieties that have already demonstrated their good adaptation commercially, such as Yuriko, participate as parents, complemented with 12% of the genome of a local variety from the upper area of Almería. It has a medium-low hectoliter weight and a weight of 1000 seeds similar to Yuriko, as well as an intermediate size between Hispanic or Shuffle and Yuriko.

Competitive advantages

Very high productivity
Low need for vernalization and high sensitivity to photoperiod
Early
Combines the performance of modern genetic improvement and the rusticity of traditional barleys