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Genetic Resources and Breeding
There is extensive natural variation in barley, which makes it quite
responsive to artificial selection.
Major Germplasm Collections
- USDA National Small Grains Collection
- Canada's Plant Gene Resources
- Nordic Barley Gene Bank (Sweden)
- ICARDA (Syria)
- Major collections in Germany, Japan, and the former Soviet Union
In the USA, there is both public sector and private sector involvement
in barley improvement research.
Hulless (naked) barley - controlled by a single recessive gene that can
be easily incorporated into adapted germplasm. Not suitable for malting.
Waxy types - controlled by a single gene that imparts 100% amylopectin
starch.
Breeding and Delection for Malt Quality
- Evaluations are expensive, limiting number of assays possible
- USDA-ARS lab in Madison, WI
- Micro-malting tests, enzyme assays
- Pilot-plant brewing
- Malt-house trials
- Final: taste tests
- Variety development: often 15 yr process
- Final release of malting variety is highly dependent on ‘product
quality’ assessments. A poor sample, poor malt, or poor taste
test can kill potential variety.
Breeding Strategies
Most common: pureline variety development through conventional breeding
techniques.
OSU breeding strategies: application of doubled haploid techniques and
tissue culture for rapid development of homozygous purelines.
Funding for Barley Improvement
American Malting Barley Association (AMBA) has been highly successful
in securing support through industry support and activities of a full-time
director.
Examples: scab initiative, genomics funding, support for NSGC at Aberdeen,
funding for ARS quality labs.
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