THE BARLEY (HORDEUM-VULGARE L) OF SARDINIA, ITALY

Since ancient times, barley has been an important food resource for th e people of Sardinia. The oldest traces of its cultivation are from th e mid-Neolithic (fourth millennium B.C.). Archaeological, historical a nd anthropological aspects of barley cultivated in Sardinia are discus sed in this paper. We describe the traditional process for making barl ey bread (orgiathu) in Sardinia, where a special starter called ghimis one was prepared. Today, barley is cultivated only as animal feed, wit h two uses, grain yield and grazing. Many farmers prefer to grow local populations belonging to landrace locally known as ''S' orgiu sardu'' . Local Sardinian populations of barley evolved in diverse environment s, being cultivated from sea-level up to 1000 m elevation, on various soil types at different intensities of abiotic stresses, and with clim ates and environments associated with various agricultural practices, depending both on production strategies and climatic conditions. These barley materials are thought to be valuable genetic and cultural inhe ritance which must be preserved and used for both productive and resea rch purposes.