An Eco-Physiological Study of Cultivated Barleys in welmera
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Date
1980-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
In eco-physiological studies, problems that originate from field
, ,
observations aretack~d both through field work and laboratory
studies. This paper presents e study made on the eco-physiology of
barley (Hordeum Sect. Cerealia Ands.) cultivars cultivated in
Welmera, Shoa.
Field studies, i.e. observations, discussions with farmers,ยท seed,;
plant and soil sample collections and laboratory experiments and
analyses, i. e. pot experiments in the greenhouse on 9 barley cuI ti vars
each cultivar planted in the 9 soils from the areas where the cultivars
Vlere collected and mechanical and chemical analyses of the soils were
carried out in the years 1979 and 1980. The data gathered were
subjected to various statistical treatments,
1'he results showed that there are wide differences both among the
9 soils and among the 8 cultivars of barley which were successfully
grown. One cultivar failed because of poor germination, The
differences observed among the soils were both physical and chemical,
some being more fertile and hence more suitable for most cultivars
while a few were extremely poor and unsuitable for most cultivars
except those that appeared to be specially adapted. The barley
cultivars studied showed wide differences in their responses to these
soils and their distribution within Vlelmera appeared to be largely a
resul t of the differences in edaphic factorcs. Soil physical condi tiona,
level of the available forms of cationic nutrients and some important
anions, ego phosphorus, and toxic heavy metals appeared to have stroncor impact on the pGrformancHu of barley cultivars than other
factorso Tl~ climatic and the socio-economic factors also seenl to
have some role, but of a smaller magnitude, in determining cultivar
distribution within the area studied.. The soils based on their
fertility in decreasinc order were Foeta, North of Holetta,_ Suba
Road, Berfeta 2, 'ilelmera Choke, I'lachacha 2\ Wachacha I, Bedi and
Berfeta 1. Several specific hypotheses were generated and the need for
further studies shown: - Baleme requires a soil 101'1 in clay and high
in calcium carbonate, Kesele requires a soil with 101'1 cl~y and high
sand contents, Netch Gebs is sensitive to heavy metal toxicity,
Semereta is sensitive to both physical, requiring soils with clay
content createI' than about 26%, and chemical conditions of soils,
i.e. it is an indicater of overall fertility of soils, Enat Hetch
Gebs requires soils with high proportion of exchangeable magnesium
to exchangeable calcium, Keye Gebs requires soils that are rich in
nutrients, Mouga requires soils that are well drained and rich in
nutrients and Senef-Kollo requires soils with high exchangeable
cations particularly exchangeable calcium and magnesium.
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Keywords
Biology