Barley (Hordeum Vulgare L.) is the fifth major cereal crop in Ethiopia, providing both food and feed. However, its productivity is still very low, despite efforts to develop improved production technologies. This is mainly due to the low yield potential of the farmers' varieties, the influence of various biotic and abiotic stresses, and the limited access to improved barley varieties due to the lack of recommended varieties in the study areas. Therefore, a field experiment was conducted to evaluate the performance of eleven varieties of food barley in two locations, Kebribeya and Awbere. The objective was to select the best varieties for each location based on grain yields and other yield-related traits. The experiment was arranged using a randomized complete block design with three replications. The results of the analysis of variance revealed that there is a significant difference (P <0.05) between the varieties for most of the yields and the traits related to the yield at both locations. At Kebribeya, the variety HB1966 had the highest mean grain yield of 2.67 tons ha-1, followed by HB1965 and Walker. At Awbere, the Walker variety had the highest mean grain yield of 2.48 tons ha-1, followed by HB1965 and HB1307. The interaction between variety and location was significant (P<0.05) for grain yield and other related traits. The combined mean grain yield at all locations ranged from 1.07 to 2.43 tons ha-1, with the overall mean value of 1.78 tons ha-1. Varieties HB1966, HB1965, Walker and HB1307 outperformed the others in terms of grain yield and other yield-related traits. Specifically, HB1966, HB1965, and Walker are suitable for Kebribeya, while Walker, HB1965, and HB1307 are suitable for Awbere. Therefore, these varieties are recommended for the production of food barley in the respective locations and similar agroecological zones.

Keywords: Adaptation, environment, genotype, yield.