Title : Drought resilience in spring barley: The role of genotype, potassium application, and endophyte inoculation
Abstract:
Recurrent droughts pose a significant threat to spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) production, reducing grain yield and quality. This study evaluated six barley genotypes to assess their drought resilience and examined the potential of potassium fertilization and Serendipita indica inoculation in mitigating drought stress. Field experiments were conducted over three years (2020–2022) at the Agriculture Research Institute in Kromeriz, Czech Republic. Six genotypes—Sebastian, Spitfire, Accordine, Nutans Afganistan, CPI 18197, and CI 6388—were tested under three potassium fertilization rates (0, 100, and 200 kg/ha) with and without S. indica inoculation. Key physiological and yield-related parameters were analyzed, including soluble sugar content and stable carbon isotope ratios in flag leaves, indicating the plants' physiological response to drought. Results showed that genotype and seasonal variation were the dominant factors influencing yield and physiological traits, rather than potassium fertilization or S. indica inoculation. High-yielding Spitfire and Accordine performed well in 2020 and 2021 but suffered significant declines in the drier 2022 season, while drought-adapted genotypes maintained stable yields. These findings highlight the critical role of genotype selection in breeding drought-resilient barley. While potassium and fungal inoculation showed no significant independent effects, further research is needed to explore their combined influence on crop performance under drought conditions. This study provides valuable insights for improving barley resilience in changing climates. The research was funded by the Ministry of Agriculture of the Czech Republic (MZE-RO1123, MZE-RO0423, QL24010008), IGA_PrF_2025_001 and MUNI/A/1799/2024.
