The purpose of this work is to determine ecological plasticity, stability, stress resistance, adaptability to various weather and economic conditions, to identify source varieties according to the studied characteristic for further use in spring barley breeding. The research material were spring barley varieties. The experiments were carried out in the northeastern part of the Central Blackearth (Chernozem) Region through five years, in various weather conditions. The index of environmental conditions over the years of the study varied from 16.3 to 19.0. The year of 2015 was a favorable year for the development of plants (I = + 19.0), and the most unfavorable year was 2016, the index of conditions was minus 16.3. The productivity of barley varieties greatly varied from 3.55 to 6.14 t/ha in favorable years and from 0.98 to 1.51 t/ha in dry years. On average, over five years of testing, high yields were harvested from the varieties ‘Medikum 110’ (Russia) 3.64 t/ha, ‘Medikum 336’ (Russia) 3.39 t/ha, ‘Veles’ (Russia) 3.34 t/ha, ‘Donetsk 9’ (Ukraine) 3.22 t/ha, ‘Feniks’ (Ukraine) 3.31 t/ha. According to the yield data there were calculated the main statistical parameters that characterize the adaptive potential of the varieties and they were divided into classes according to breeding valuable traits. Based on the obtained data there were identified the samples which are of practical interest due to the breeding purpose. It has been established that the varieties ‘Medikum 336’ (Russia), ‘Union’ (Germany) are environmentally adaptable; the varieties ‘Medikum 110’ (Russia), ‘Veles’ (Russia) are genetically flexible; the variety ‘Clara’ (Sweden) is stable. Particular attention should be paid to the varieties ‘Medikum 110’ (Russia), ‘Clara’ (Sweden) that are sources of two or more adaptive traits. The farmers using the obtained results, will be able to constantly improve their products, bringing them closer to perfection, since the adaptive properties of the cultivated varieties play a decisive role in reducing the risk and mitigating the consequences of extreme weather situations for the economy of agricultural producers.