Indian Res. J. Genet. & Biotech 7(2) : 169 – 163 (2015) Corresponding authors- e-mail: anant.madke@gmail.com Published by the Indian Society of Genetics, Biotechnology Research and Development Biotech Bhawan 5 E Nikhil Estate, DPS Road, Shastripuram, Agra 282007 Online management by www.isgbrd.co.in Studies on Genetic Variability and Interrelationship among the Different Traits in Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) for Rainfed and Irrigated Environments A.H. Madakemohekar, L.C. Prasad, R.D. Lodhi and R. Prasad Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Institute of Agricultural Sciences Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi- 221005, India. (Received: March 2015; Revised: March 2015; Accepted: April 2015) Abstract Twenty five diverse elite barely genotypes and three checks were grown in the two environment with three replications during Rabi 2013-2014 to study coefficient of variability, correlation, GCV, PCV, heritability and expected genetic advance for six characters. Significant variation were revealed for all the characters under study. High GCV and PCV were found for grain yield per plant, effective tillers per plant, 1000 grain weight and plant height in rainfed environment, while, for effective tillers per plant, grain yield per plant, and 1000 grain weight in irrigated environment. Estimates of heritability ranged from 21.81% for days to maturity to 89.55% for days to heading, while grain yield showed 48.61 % heritability in rainfed environment. And in irrigated environment it ranged from 15.17% for grain yield to 84.66% for 1000 grain weight. Positive and significant association was shown by grain yield per plant with only two traits viz. effective tillers per plant and plant height, while remaining traits showed negative association in both environments. Key words: Rainfed, genetic advance, correlation, environment Introduction Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) is one of the useful medicinal crops, which was widely grown from the time of agriculture origin. Among the cereals it is fourth cultivated crop after Wheat, Rice and Maize respectively. It is considered as one of the most suitable cereal crop, which can survive and grow over a wide range of soils and under many adverse climatic conditions compared with many other cereal crops (Saied and Ashraf, 2014). Barley originates from the Eastern Mediterranean region where plants experience many abiotic stresses in the field. It is an important winter cereal crop grown in the northern plains of India comprising the states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana, Rajasthan, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand that makes about 80% of total acreage of India. Its production has become more intense and complex in recent years. From this reason it is necessary to carry out experiments to estimate the response of barley plants to a variety of adverse conditions, such as low and high solar energy availability, shortage or excess of water in soil, high temperature and salinity, which affects photosynthesis and yield formation (Kalaji, 2012). Drought is a major environmental stress reducing crop yield around the world (Bruce et al., 2002). The combined effects of drought and high temperature on the physiology, growth, water relations, and yield are significantly higher than the individual effects (Grigorova et al., 2011). Some genotypes can perform well, when grown under water stress condition and ultimately yield will be more. So to know the performance of genotypes, we need to grow them in both irrigated and water stress condition Materials and Methods Twenty five genotypes of HUBL series were used as test genotypes along with three checks. These genotypes were developed and maintained by All India Co-ordinated Barley Improvement Project. The present investigation was conducted during the rabi season at the Agriculture Research Farm of Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi. Sowing of same material was done in both rainfed as well irrigated conditions with Randomized Block Design and three replications. Each entry was sown with a six row of 5 meter length with row to row spacing of 25 cm and plant to plant spacing of 10 cm.