Genetic variation for dry matter and nitrogen accumulation and translocation in two-rowed spring barley: I. Dry matter translocation

A 4-year field study was carried out to determine dry matter and nitrogen accumulation until anthesis and at grain filling period and dry matter translocation and utilization in grain filling of barley. Twenty two-rowed spring barley (Hordeum vulgare ssp. distichum L.) cultivars originated from different countries (Yugoslavia, Germany, Australia, the Czeck Republic, Netherlands, France and USA) were grown during 1995–1998 on a non-calcareous chernozem soil near Novi Sad (45° 20′N, 15° 51′E, 86 m asl). Dry matter and nitrogen accumulation depended on the cultivar and year. In a year with favorable weather conditions, 58% of dry matter was accumulated during pre-anthesis, while in a year with less favorable weather the amount was 48%. In the favorable year 91% and in unfavorable year 65% of nitrogen was accumulated until anthesis. The results indicated that the greater amount of dry matter and nitrogen accumulated before anthesis. Dry matter translocation efficiency depended on the cultivar and ranged from 3 to 16.4%, while the contribution of pre-anthesis assimilates to kernel varied from 4 to 24.2%. Cultivars that have been developed for the growing conditions of the area where the experimental site was located, i.e. adapted ones, did not use pre-anthesis dry matter for grain filling. High positive correlations (P<0.01) were found between biomass at anthesis and biological yield, dry matter translocation efficiency, contribution of translocated dry matter to grain yield, and total plant nitrogen at maturity. Accumulated nitrogen at anthesis was positively correlated (P<0.01) with growing degree–days until anthesis, dry matter at anthesis and dry matter translocation parameters. Heritability for the investigated characters was rather high, over 0.60.     

Mutation genetics of salt tolerance in barley: An assessment of Golden Promise and other semi-dwarf mutants

A review of research at the Scottish Crop Research Institute (SCRI) on the effects of semi-dwarfing genes on salt tolerance in barley is given. Work began in1993 with the fortuitous and unexpected result that the cultivar ‘Golden Promise’ showed considerable tolerance to salt. Golden Promise is a gamma-ray induced semi-dwarf mutant of the cultivar ‘Maythorpe’. The parent and mutant cultivars are presumed to be isogenic, but show significant differences in their responses to salt stress. The positive and pleiotropic effects of the mutant gene, commonly known as GPert were found to be effective in a number of genetic backgrounds. Earlier, in 1991 Frackowiak showed that the GPert mutation was allelic to the ari-e mutants in barley. The ari-emutants were salt tested and found to show the same positive responses to salt stress as Golden Promise. This supported the allelism tests, and consequently the GPert symbol was changed to ari-e.GP. The semi-dwarf mutant sdw1 (also known as denso) and the erectoides semi-dwarf mutant,ert-k ³² were also tested for their effects on tolerance to salt, but did not show any positive effects. Salt tolerance was therefore not a general phenomenon of semi-dwarf stature but specific to mutations at the Ari-e locus in these lines. Genetic markers (RAPDs, AFLPs and SSRs) have been used for fingerprinting, genetic mapping, and QTL analysis. The markers have helped 1) confirm the isogenic relationship between Maythorpe and Golden Promise, 2)clarify the confusion over the pedigree of Golden Promise, and 3) genetically map the ari-e.GPlocus and examine its pleiotropic effects. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Possibility of exploiting the Yd2 resistance to BYDV in spring barley breeding

The effects of the Yd2 gene on tolerance to barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV) and other agronomically important characters in spring barley were evaluated in a set of randomly selected doubled haploid (DH) lines of an‘Igri’/‘Atlas 68’ cross and three crosses between CIMMYT Yd2 materials and the Czech malting barley ‘Akcent’. The cleaved amplified polymorphic site (CAPS) diagnostic marker Yd2 was used for identification of the Yd2 gene and this analysis showed high agreement with the results of field infection tests. Yd2 lines exhibited significantly lower symptom scores and lower reductions of some grain yield characters, but their resistance level was not consistent over the years. The presence of secondary stresses (high temperature/drought) in 2000 led to relatively higher sensitivity to BYDV infection, strengthened by the long life cycle of genotypes. In cases where secondary stresses were mild (in 2002), the longer life cycle significantly increased sensitivity to BYDV infection only in the absence of the Yd2 gene (in susceptible genotypes). The examination of different vegetative, grain yield and malting quality characters separately for groups of Yd2 and non‐ Yd2 lines did not show any evidence of adverse effect of the Yd2 gene on any character.     

Associations between three ml-o powdery mildew resistance genes and agronomic traits in barley

Summary A population of 198 chromosome-doubled haploid lines of spring barley was scored for segregation in locus ml-o (powdery mildew reaction) on chromosome 4 and in the linked loci s (rachilla hair length) and ddt (reaction to the insecticide DDT) on chromosome 7. They were also tested in a disease-free field trial for the agronomic traits: grain yield, thousand grain weight, lodging, and necrotic leaf spotting. The three mutagen-induced resistance genes ml-o5, ml-o6 (from Carlsberg II) and ml-10 (from Foma) showed no detectable differences with respect to effects on agronomic traits. They all conferred a four per cent reduction in grain yield caused mainly by lower thousand grain weight, and an increase in necrotic leaf spotting. The two original mutants of Carlsberg II had additional mutant genes affecting agronomic traits. Lines with gene S (long hair) had on average a three per cent higher thousand grain weight than those with s. The alleles in locus ddt showed no association with the agronomic traits. It is concluded i) that the associations between the three ml-o alleles and agronomic traits are caused by pleiotropy, ii) that ml-o resistant, high-yielding lines may be selected, and iii) that the association between gene s and thousand grain weight may be due to genetic linkage.Abbreviations DH-lines chromosome-doubled haploid lines     

The origin of six-rowed ‘wild’ barley from the western Himalaya

Summary Plants were grown from seed of two-rowed wild barley, Hordeum spontaneum, and six-rowed brittlerachised barley. H. agriocrithon, collected in Ladakh, north-western India. Whereas the H. spontaneum remained true to type, segregation for morphological characters was observed in progeny rows grown from heads of H. agriocrithon plants. The H. agriocrithon heads also showed segregation for a biochemical character, the polypeptide pattern of the endosperm storage protein fraction (hordein). The H. agriocrithon seed therefore originated from natural hybridization between cultivated H. vulgare and weedy H. spontaneum. Crosses of H. vulgare and H. spontaneum gave progeny which resembled H. agriocrithon and showed similar hordein polypeptide segregation patterns. The results indicate that six-rowed brittle-rach ised barleys from the Himalayas have a similar origin to forms found in the Middle East, and that H. agriocrithon does not play a direct role in the evolution of barley.     

Resistance to the Barley Yellow Mosaic Virus Complex — Differential Genotypic Reactions and Genetics of BaMMV-Resistance of Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.)

Barley yellow mosaic disease is caused by several viruses, i.e. barley yellow mosaic virus (BaYMV), barley mild mosaic virus (BaMMV) and BaYMV-2. The reaction of different barley germplasms to the barley mosaic viruses was studied in field and greenhouse experiments. The results show a complex situation; some varieties are resistant to all the viruses, while others are resistant to one or two of them only. Crosses between different barley germplasms were earned out in order to test whether genetic diversity of resistance against mosaic viruses does exist, particularly, BaMMV. A total of 45 foreign barley varieties were crossed to German cultivars carrying the resistance gene ym4. In F₂ of 27 crosses, no segregation could be detected, leading to the conclusion that the resistance genes of the foreign parents are allelic with ym4 e.g. Ym1 (‘Mokusekko 3’) and Ym2 (‘Mihori Hadaka 3’). A total of 18 crosses segregated in F₂ indicating that foreign parents, like ‘Chikurin Ibaraki 1’, ‘Iwate Omugi 1’, and “Anson Barley”, carry resistance genes different from the gene of German cultivars, e.g. ‘Asorbia’ or ‘Franka’. By means of statistical evaluation (Chi²-test), the observed segregation ratios were analyzed in order to obtain significant information on the heredity of resistance. All the resistance genes described here as being different from the gene ym4, act recessively. Most of the exotic varieties seem to carry only one resistance gene. In a few cases, more than one gene may be present.     

Analysis of durable resistance to stem rust in barley

Summary Since the mid-1940's, barley cultivars grown in the northern Great Plains of the USA and Canada have been resistant to stem rust caused byPuccinia graminis f. sp.tritici. This durable resistance is largely conferred by a single gene,Rpg1, derived from a single plant selection of the cultivar Wisconsin 37 and an unimproved Swiss cultivar. At the seedling stage, barley genotypes withRpg1 generally exhibit low mesothetic reactions at 16–20° C and slightly higher mesothetic reactions at 24–28° C to many stem rust pathotypes. This resistance is manifested by a low level of rust infection and mostly incompatible type uredia on adult plants.Rpg1 reacts in a pathotype-specific manner since some genotypes ofP. g. f. sp.tritici are virulent on cultivars carrying this gene in the field. Several factors may have contributed to the longevity of stem rust resistance in barley, a) since barley is planted early and matures early, it can sometimes escape damage from stem rust inoculum carried from the south; b) one or more minor genes may augment the level of resistance already provided byRpg1; c) the cultivation of resistant wheat cultivars and eradication of barberry have reduced the effective population size and number of potential new pathotypes ofP. g. f. sp.tritici, respectively; and d) virulent pathotypes ofP. g. f. sp.tritici andP. g. f. sp.secalis have not become established. This situation changed in 1989 when a virulent pathotype (Pgt-QCC) ofP. g. f. sp.tritici became widely distributed over the Great Plains. However,Rpg1 may still confer some degree of resistance to pathotype QCC because stem rust severities have been low to moderate and yield losses light on barley cultivars carrying the gene during the last four seasons (1989–1992). Several sources of incomplete resistance to pathotype QCC have been identified in barley. To facilitate the transfer of resistance genes from these sources into advanced breeding lines, molecular marker assisted selection is being employed.     

Cytogenetic variation in somatic tissue cultures and regenerated plants of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.)

Summary Chromosome number of morphogenic and non-morphogenic calli and regenerated plants of barley were determined. Cultures were obtained from two kinds of explants, immature embryos and seedling leaves from three cultivars, Ingrid, Dissa and Golden Promise. Callus chromosome analyses were carried out during a 12 month period in a medium containing 2 mg/l of 2,4-D. Diploid cells were predominant in all cases; although in leaf-derived cultures, retraploid cells (2n=4x=28) showed a tendency to increase as time in culture increased and after more than six months in culture, diploid cells decreased to percentages of almost 70%. Aneuploid cells were generally infrequent in all cases. The source of explant has been more important than the genotype (cultivar) and the type of callus (morphogenic vs. non-morphogenic) in the chromosomal stability of cultures as time increases. From short term cultures, only 1.85% of the regenerated plants were tetraploid, the remaining were diploids. The ability of morphogenic calli to regenerate plants decreased before any significant reduction of diploid cells were observed.     

Screening for resistance against Rhopalosiphum padi (L.). 2. Hordeum species and interspecific hybrids

Summary Twenty-seven accessions of Hordeum species and interspecific hybrids were screened in a growth chamber for resistance against the aphid Rhopalosiphum padi. Resistance measurement was based on the aphids' population growth during a 16-day period. The mean number of nymphs produced per female was only about 14% of that on the control cv. Tellus. H. bogdani was the most resistant accession. As a group, interspecific F₁-hybrids with common barley (H. vulgare × H. sp.) held an intermediate position. Differences in resistance between hybrids as well as between species (H. jubatum and H. lechleri) were observed. The most resistant species were all diploids. No effects of the host plant on formation of alatae or on the within-plant distribution of aphids were found.     

A recurrent selection programme for grain yield in winter barley

Summary The effect of a recurrent selection procedure was evaluated in a winter barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) population. Cycle zero (C₀) was initiated by crossing six high yielding winter barley cultivars with the short straw cv Onice. The F₁'s were crossed according to a diallel scheme without reciprocals. A total of 750 S₀ plants were derived and evaluated; 329 S₀ plants were selected and their progenies (S₁ lines) tested. Fifteen S₁ lines were chosen and used as parents of cycle 1 (C₁), by producing 105 F₁ hybrids which simulated a random mating offspring. One hundred and three randomly chosen S₁ lines belonging to C₀, and 103 S₁ lines belonging to C₁, were evaluated at two locations.For grain yield a significant difference between cycles was observed. From C₀ to C₁ the grain yield increased with 307 g/m². This increase was due to a higher number of seeds per m². For plant height, heading date and 100-kernel weight no differences between cycles were observed.The positive results obtained in this study indicate the potential usefulness of recurrent selection for developing parents or lines superior for grain yield, with little change in other important agronomic traits.