BACKGROUND AND AIMS Barley (Hordeum vulgare ssp. vulgare) cultivation started between 9500 and 8400 years ago, and was a major part of ancient agriculture in the Near East. The brittle rachis is a critical trait in the domestication process. METHODS A DNA sequence closely linked to the brittle rachis complex was amplified and resequenced in a collection of cultivated barleys, wild barleys (H....

A study was initiated in 2001at four locations in western Canada to investigate an integrated approach to managing wild oat, the region’s worst weed. The study examined the effects of combining semidwarf or tall barley cultivars with normal or twice-normal barley seeding rates in either continuous barley or a barley–canola–barley–field pea–barley rotation. Herbicides were applied at 25, 50, and...

The barley genes HvLtp4.2 and HvLtp4.3 both encode the lipid transfer protein LTP4 and are less than 1 kb apart in tail-to-tail orientation. They differ in their non-coding regions from each other and from the gene corresponding to a previously reported Ltp4 cDNA (now Ltp4.1). Southern blot analysis indicated the existence of three or more Ltp4 genes per haploid genome and showed considerable p...

Shoot regeneration in calli derived from immature barley embryos is regulated by light conditions during the callus-induction period. Barley cultivars Kanto Nijo-5 (KN5) and K-3 (K3) showed lower efficiency of shoot regeneration in a 16-h photoperiod during callus-induction than those in continuous darkness, whereas shoot regeneration was enhanced in cultures under a 16-h photoperiod in Golden ...

MetaBrew is a manually curated and comprehensive repository of high quality analysis data concerning kernel, malting and brewing quality of barley cultivars. This includes meta information about the genotypic and phenotypic background (pedigree, row number, seasonal habit, environment, experiment sources). Exploration and export of the information is supported by a web application. MetaBrew is ...

Whole-plant winter cereals could be of great interest if used as silages for ruminant feeding as opposed to summer crops in that they would spare water resources or valorize low-input management. This study aimed to compare the feeding value of rye, barley, wheat (two genotypes) and triticale (six genotypes). The cereals were sown in October and harvested as silage in June. Forages were offered...

The process of vernalization is mainly controlled by two genes in winter barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), VRNH1 and VRNH2. A recessive allele at VRNH1 and a dominant allele at VRNH2 must be present to induce a vernalization requirement. In addition, this process is usually associated with greater low-temperature tolerance. Spanish barleys originated in areas with mild winters and display a reduced ...

Selection and domestication of plants with genes that prevent grains from shattering in cereals was essential for human civilization's transition to agriculture-based societies. In this issue, Pourkheirandish et al. show that domestication of barley required evolution of a molecular system distinct from other grains, such as rice and maize, and reveal that present-day cultivars derive from two ...

Spot blotch caused by the hemibiotrophic pathogen Cochliobolus sativus has been the major yield-reducing factor for barley production during the last decade. Monitoring transcriptional reorganization triggered in response to this fungus is an essential first step for the functional analysis of genes involved in the process. To characterize the defense responses initiated by barley resistant and...

In response to climatic changes, breeding programmes should be aimed at creating new cultivars with improved resistance to water scarcity. The objective of this study was to examine the yield potential of barley recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived from three cross-combinations of European and Syrian spring cultivars, and to identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for yield-related traits in...