Abstract
Barley is a major cereal crop with a broad range of end uses, and has been receiving more attention from both agricultural and food scientists because of its special chemical composition and health benefits. The objective of this study was to compare the new naked barley breeding line‘s chemical composition and early growth traits with some domestic covered barley varieties. The results of study shows that hull-less barley breeding lines presented higher averages of germination and growth indices when compared to the covered varieties. The chemical composition varied (P < 0.05) among all the barley genotypes. hulless barley grain contained significantly more crude protein (17.6%) and Starch (59.9%) in comparison with covered barley. in turn, total crude fibre (5.7%), crude ash (1.7%), and moisture contents (10.9%) were significantly higher in hulled barley varieties. This study contributes to understanding the chemical composition of some Libyan barley varieties and indicates some characteristics that can be used as criteria for selecting varieties in breeding programs