Since the 1995 federal budget, significant changes have been taking place in the Research Branch, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. As of April 1, 1996, the Plant Research Centre and the Centre for Land and Biological Resources Research in Ottawa will be integrated into one new Centre, namely Eastern Cereal and Oilseed Research Centre (ECORC). The mandate of ECORC is to develop improved varieties of barley, wheat, oat, corn, and soybeans for Eastern Canada. Research on barley improvement will remain the same at ECORC. Highlights of our research program during the past year are as follows.

Variety Development

A two-row barley variety, DB202, has been supported for registration by the Ontario Cereal Crops Committee and the Atlantic Advisory Committee on Cereal and Protein Crops. DB202 is a doubled-haploid (DH) line derived from a Morrison/AB94-11 cross by the bulbosum method. It yielded well in Ontario and in the Maritime Region of Canada. Relative to the two check varieties AC Sterling and Lester, DB202 had higher yield, higher test weight, higher seed weight, and better resistance to smuts, BYDV, and neck break. Like AC Sterling, DB202 is resistant to powdery mildew

Genetic Analysis of a two-row x six-row cross

One hundred ninety DH lines were derived from a Leger/CI9831 cross by the bulbosum method. These DH lines along with the two parents were tested at Charlottetown and Ottawa in 1993 in a randomized complete block design with four replications. At Charlottetown, the VV (two-row) genotype was founded to be associated with low yield (27% lower), high test weight, high seed weight, tall stature, and much better lodging resistance. At Ottawa, the VVgenotype was found to be associated with low yield (20% lower) and high seed weight. Besides the Vv locus, the Rrlocus also had a significant effect on these agronomic traits. At Charlottetown, the RR (rough awns) genotype was associated with high yield (8% higher), high test weight, low seed weight, short stature, poor lodging resistance, and earliness. At Ottawa, the RR genotype was associated with high yield (11% higher), high test weight, and low seed weight.
 
 

Inheritance of kernel size and shape

Kernel area, kernel perimeter, kernel width, and kernel length of 193 DH lines derived from a Leger/CI9831 cross were measured by a digital image analyser. Two additional variables, circularity and aspect ratio, were also studied. The heritability estimates for these kernel traits were high, ranging from 0.66 to 0.93. Genotype x environmental interaction was relatively small. The pleiotropic effect of the Vv locus accounted for 7 to 91% of the total variation for the six kernel traits. As expected, many of these traits were genetically correlated. The digital image analysis is useful to study the inheritance of kernel characteristics as it enables one to measure characteristics of thousands of individual kernels in a short time.

Publications

T.M. Choo, A. Tekauz, K.M. Ho, and R.A. Martin. 1994. Use of doubled haploids in studying net blotch resistance in barley. Pp. 179-187. In: S.C. Huang, D.J. Liu, C.H. Kao, and T.T. Chang (eds.). Proceedings of the Seventh International Congress of SABRAO and International Symposium of WSAA, Taichuang District Agricultural Improvement Station, Taichuang, Taiwan.

P. Narasimhalu, D. Kong, T.M. Choo, T. Ferguson, M.C. Therrien, K.M. Ho, K.W. May, and P. Jui. 1995. Effects of environment and cultivar on total mixed-linkage beta-glucan content in Eastern and Western Canadian barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). Can. J. Plant Sci. 75: 371-376.

K.H. Ho, W.L. Seaman, T.M. Choo, and R.A. Martin. 1995. AC Hamilton barley. Can. J. Plant Sci. 75: 697-698.

D. Kong, T.M. Choo, P. Jui, T. Ferguson, M.C. Therrien, K.M. Ho, K.W. May, and P. Narasimhalu. 1995. Variation in starch, protein, and fibre of Canadian barley cultivars. Can. J. Plant Sci. 75: 865-870.