Berhan Tewolde (PhD)Egziabher Gebre (PhD)Asfaw Zemede2018-07-182023-11-082018-07-182023-11-081980-06http://etd.aau.edu.et/handle/123456789/9153In 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,· 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.enBiologyThesis