The aim of experiment was to evaluate and compare grain chemical composition (crude protein, starch, crude fat, crude fibre, crude ash and phosporus) of hulled and hulless cereals. The four hulless barley varieties and lines - 'Gainer' (Canada), 'KM-2084', (the Czech Republic), 'L-302' (Latvia), 'SW-1291' (Sweden), one hulled barley variety - 'Linga' (Latvia), hulless oat line 'L-28156' (Latvia), hulled variety 'Laima' (Latvia) and spring wheat variety 'Vinjett' (Sweden) were included in this study. Field experiments were carried out at the State Stende Cereal Breeding Institute in 2004-2006. All plots received 60 kg ha -1 nitrogen (N). On the average for all hulless varieties, the content of crude protein ranged from 129.7-171.0 g kg -1. The hulled variety 'Linga' contained 140.7 g kg -1 crude protein. The content of crude protein for hulless oat line was 170.9 g kg -1 and it was significantly higher than for covered oat variety (120.9 g kg -1), but spring wheat 'Vinjett' (133.3 g kg -1) took place between hulled barley and hulled oat. In 2006, hot summer temperatures increased the crude protein content in all cereal varieties. There were differences in starch content among cereals. Regarding to starch content the species were ranged in following order: wheat > hulless barley > hulled barley > hulless oat > hulled oat (668, 623-686, 598, 589, 454 g kg -1, respectively). The hulless line L-28156 showed the highest fat content - 91.7 g kg -1. This value exceeded 1.5 to 3.8 fold the content of fat found in hulled oat, hulled and hulless barley and spring wheat. The hulless barley, hulless oat and spring wheat had the lowest crude fibre content 18.3-24.3 g kg -1, 20.3 g kg -1 and 28.5 g kg -1, respectively. The hulled barley and oat contained from 2 to 5 fold more crude fibre than hulless types. Hulled varieties of barley and oat had higher crude ash content (23.0-25.2 g kg -1) than hulless type (17.6-22.2 g kg -1). The results of grain chemical composition suggest that the hulless varieties of barley and oats might awake interest for food and feed producers.
