Session 10 Breeding Success Stories

Oral Presentation

Breeding Malting Barley for the Canadian Prairies,
a Greybeards Perspective

B. L. Harvey

University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, S7N 5A8, Canada, E-mail: bryan.harvey@usask.ca

Over the past 40 years many things have changed yet some important things have remained the same. In the early 60s cell phones, faxes, PCs and the Internet were not available to us. Canada grew very little two-row barley and was a relatively small player in world trade of malt and malting barley. The USA and UK (before tariffs) were our major export markets. High tase malt was in demand for whisky making in the UK and for domestic brewing in North America. In broad terms the objectives of our breeding programs were the same as now; quality suited to market demands, excellent field performance and resistance to diseases. The details have of course changed markedly. Canada is now a major player in world trade and two-rows are by far the largest portion of this. High enzyme levels and rapid modification still characterize our barleys which are well suited to high gravity and high adjunct brewing. The mechanical, electronic, molecular and chemical tools we now have available to us were only dreamed of 40 years ago. We have become much more effective and efficient. During the intervening years we have increased yield potentials by 30% or more and built in better sources of resistance to a number of diseases. In the two-rows we have moved from an older European quality profile to our modern North American profile. We have increased enzyme levels, to a par with our six-rows, without sacrificing extract. Modification times have been reduced by over 20% and low beta glucan levels mean fast run-off times in the brewery. The reason for this success is truly focussing on quality as the number one priority and on close interaction with the malting and brewing industries to gather the intelligence needed to achieve world class quality.

Breeding Malting Barley under Stress Conditions in South America

S. E. German

Instituto Nacional de Investigacion Agropecuaria, La Estanzuela, Colonia 70000, Uruguay,
E-mail: sgerman@inia.org.uy

The annual area sown to barley in South America during 1998/2002 was 780 thousand hectares, averaging 1.85 tons of grain per ha (FAO, 2003). In Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru most barley is used for food and feed. In Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Uruguay, two row spring cultivars are used mostly for malt production. Research has been developed in private malting companies and official institutions supported by the industry (Arias, 1995). Since 1976 malting barley breeding in INIA-Chile improved yield, grain size, beer production efficiency, and resistance to scald, net blotch, stripe, and leaf rust (Beratto 2001). In Argentina, tolerance to drought and heat stress during grain filling are important in dry areas and diseases predominate in wet years. Maltería Quilmes released eight high quality cultivars in the last 20 years (Savio pers. commun.). In Southern Brazil, progress in yield, grain size, malting quality, early maturity, resistance to net blotch, mildew, and leaf rust has been achieved by EMBRAPA and malting companies. Higher tolerance to soil acidity and resistance to spot blotch are required (Minella 2001). Uruguay produces high quality malt mainly exported to Brazil. Malting companies have released locally bred and introduced cultivars since the early 70´s. Initiated in 1988, INIA-Uruguay breeding program improved yield, malting quality, and lodging and disease resistance. Fusarium head blight is a new challenge for research in Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay. Information regarding barley production, the most important stresses in different areas of production, and progress in breeding under South American conditions will be provided.

Barley Breeding Progress in the Czech Republic

I. Langer

Barley Breeding Department, SELGEN Co., Plant Breeding Station Stupice,
250 84 Sibrina, Czech Republic,
E-mail: ilanger@telecom.cz

Spring barley: Barley production in the territory of present the Czech Republic has long tradition. Due to favorable environmental conditions, especially in the Moravian Haná region and in the lowland region of Bohemia, local populations and varieties with excellent grain yield and quality gradually evolved. These Old-Haná, South Moravian, and Old-Bohemian local cultivars laid base for further selection not only in their home country, but abroad, too. The first intentional breeding of spring barley emerged in the second half of 19th century, at first in Moravia, later also in Bohemia. New varieties were developed by means of selection from old local cultivars (e.g. Proskowetz Haná Pedigree, Kneifels Opavian, Valtický, and many others). Some of them were used broadly in breeding programs worldwide. In particular variety Proskowetz Haná Pedigree can be found in the genealogy of almost all malting varieties of the world. Later the utilization of crossing took place in the barley breeding programs, more modern methods of selection were practiced and genes of the diseases resistance were employed. As a result of the breeders effort many successful varieties were registered, e.g. Diamant, Korál, Rubín, Bonus, Zenit, Akcent, Forum, Amulet, Tolar, Heris, and others. They could be characterized as good yielders with high quality and new types of disease resistance. More recently registered Czech varieties still have to prove their value in agricultural practice, malt houses and breweries.
Winter barley: Until 1980 winter barley had rather marginal importance in Bohemia and Moravia. Breeding programs were limited and they were even quite interrupted in 1974. Breeding work of winter barley was re-established in 1980 and resulting Czech winter barley varieties had occupied no less then 80% of seed propagation area in 1998.

Poster Presentation

First Results on SSR Analysis of German Winter Barley Cultivars
to Reflect the Breeding Progress over the Last Decades

J. Ahlemeyer1, D. Simioniuc2, W. Koehler3, W. Friedt1 and F. Ordon4

1Institute of Agronomy and Plant Breeding I, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, D-35392 Giessen, Germany, E-mail: jutta.ahlemeyer@agrar.uni-giessen.de;
2University of Agricultural Science Iasi, 700490 Iasi, Rumania; 3Institute of Agronomy and Plant Breeding II, Justus-Liebig University Giessen, D-35392 Giessen, Germany; 4Federal Centre for Breeding Research
on Cultivated Plants, Institute of Epidemiology and Resistance, D-06449 Aschersleben, Germany

During the last five decades winter barley yields in Germany have increased by about 75 kg/ha per annum. This is due to breeding efforts as well as to enhanced plant production systems. To investigate the contribution of plant breeding to this increase, two years of field trials are being carried out at 13 different sites in Germany in co-operation with private plant breeding companies. In these trials 64 six-rowed and 49 two-rowed winter barley cultivars, having been the most important in their time of release and representing important ancestors of modern cultivars, are analysed for traits of agronomic importance. Special emphasis is given to newly released cultivars representing the recent breeding progress. At the same time, respective cultivars are genotyped using a set of SSRs covering the genome. By this approach informations on changes in allele frequencies as well as changes in allele combinations during 40 years of barley breeding will be gained. On the one hand respective data may be useful in selecting parental lines as it may be assumed for an in-breeder that a higher number of transgressive segregates will be expected if parental lines are to some extent genetically diverse. On the other hand the combination of phenotypic and genotypic data will be the starting point to uncover polymorphisms related to beneficial changes in agronomic traits. The first results of these studies are presented.

Evaluation and Selection for Traits Related to Lodging Resistance
in Barley

I. Bjornsson and D. E. Falk

Department of Plant Agriculture, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada,
E-mail: dfalk@uoguelph.ca

Lodging in barley, due to loss of root anchorage or to stem breakage, causes losses in grain yield, reduction in grain quality, and reduced harvesting efficiency. Lodging resistance is quantitatively inherited, highly influenced by environment, and generally low in heritability. Selection for a combination of easily-measured morphological traits that are related to lodging may lead to greater response than direct selection for lodging itself. A number of culm traits, and their relationships to measured stem breakage and field lodging were examined. Lodging was reduced by shorter peduncles and greater peduncle diameter, peduncle weight/length, peduncle weight/length × diameter and peduncle breaking resistance. Peduncle breaking resistance was positively associated with peduncle weight, diameter, weight/length, and weight/length × diameter. Each of these culm traits was more heritable than lodging itself. There was a significant reduction in lodging in response to indirect selection for plant traits. The use of spaced plants and hill plots was more effective for indirect selection for lodging resistance than head rows and commercial-density yield plots. Selection for culm traits in F2 populations was effective in increasing breaking resistance and in reducing lodging in later generations. Leaf rust resistance was also associated with an improvement in lodging resistance.

Torrens A New Hulless Barley Developed for Southern Australia

A. J. Box, J. M. Washington and J. K. Eglinton

School of Agriculture and Wine, Faculty of Sciences, Waite Campus, University of Adelaide, Glen Osmond, SA 5064, Australia, E-mail: amanda.box@adelaide.edu.au

Torrens is a new hulless barley developed by the South Australian Barley Improvement Program with a national, co-ordinated approach to the development of a hulless barley industry. Torrens was bred from a simple cross between Galleon, a well adapted, CCN resistant, South Australian feed variety, and CIMMYT 42002, a hulless two-row barley line with bright, white and plump grain selected from CIMMYT, Mexico. Torrens was developed as a hulless replacement for Namoi averaging 4% higher yields. Torrens has higher yield potential than Namoi in most agro-ecological zones of South Australia. Torrens produces larger grain and has better feed and malt quality than Namoi. Torrens has a similar plant type to Galleon and is shorter and early maturing compared to Namoi. It is less susceptible than Namoi to leaf rust, powdery mildew and spot form of net blotch. It is sensitive to both manganese and zinc deficiencies. Torrens progressed through early generation selection trials and was promoted to University of Adelaide Stage 3 trials in 1995. Torrens produced grain yields that ranged between 1 and 22 percentage points higher than Namoi in five out of six growing seasons. Subsequently, it was promoted to SARDI Stage 3 trials in 1997. Torrens has now completed five years of SARDI Stage 4 trial evaluation in South Australia and will be included in this trial series in 2003. It has also been included in collaborative trials in Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia since 1997. Results from 2002 collaborative trials indicated Torrens yielded up to 10% above Namoi with the best performance at Formartin, Queensland. This paper will describe, in detail, results for Torrens compared to Namoi and current Australian covered cultivars for: (1) Physical grain quality; (2) Agronomic performance and adaptation; (3) Disease resistance; (4) End use performance; Animal feed evaluation; Malt quality evaluation; Human food evaluation.

The Results of Barley Breeding in the State Stende Plant Breeding Station on Last 10 Years

S. Kalinina1 and M. Bleidere2

1Plant Variety Testing Department, State Plant Protection Service, Riga LV-1073, Latvia,
E-mail: sofija.kalinina@vaad.gov.lv;
2State Stende Plant Breeding Station p.o. Dižstende, Talsi Region, LV-3258 Latvia,
E-mail: stende.selekcija@apollo.lv

In Latvia the area of spring barley comprises 30.834.3% of the total area of cereal crops. The aim of our barley breeding group is to produce and to introduce for production a new, high yielding, lodging and disease resistant variety for Latvian agroclimatic conditions. During 19932003 four new varieties Rasa, Sencis, Ansis and Druvis (bread at Stende) were included in the Variety Catalogue of Latvia. Variety Rasa has very smooth grains, very high sieving fraction (2.5 mm) and law protein content, have resistant to loose smut and powdery mildew, use for malt. Variety Sencis is early-maturing, has very good resistance to diseases, has Mla13, Ml (RU3) and Mlg genes. Recommended for malt production. Limited characteristics is middle lodging endurance. Variety Ansis is middle late ripening, high yielding and lodging endurance, resistant to loose smut and powdery mildew, has u1u2 genes. New variety has short straw (20 cm comparison to standard Abava), is intensive type, therefore is devise special growing technology, use for malt six-row variety Druvis is early-maturing, with high yield, resistance to net blotch and powdery mildew, good malting quality. New variety Kristaps is delivered to States trial and DUS test in 2003. Variety is middle late ripening, high yielding and lodging endurance, has resistance to diseases and good malting quality.

Variability of Yield of Five Newly Two-Rowed Spring Barley Cultivars in Different Environment

D. Knezevic1, D. Maksimovic1, N. Przulj2, V. Momcilovic2 and N. Djukic3

1ARI SERBIA Small Grains Research Centre, 34000 Kragujevac, Serbia and Montenegro;
2Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia and Montenegro;
3Institute of Biology, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Kragujevac,
34000 Kragujevac, Serbia and Montenegro,
E-mail: deskoa@ptt.yu

At six newly Yugoslav two rowed spring barley cultivars (Horizont, Ukras, Dragulj, Jadran and Djerdan) were studied morphological and yield related traits. Those barley cultivars tested in different environmental conditions during three seasons. Variation of morphological traits and yield components was observed and evaluated. In this investigation was assessed variability of yield, hectoliter mass, thousand grain mass, grain protein content, stem height, lodging resistance, resistance to diseases. Each cultivar showed variation of analyzed traits in different environmental conditions. It is indicating influence of environment to trait development and expression.

Genes for Success What Can We Learn from Recommended
List Trials?

M. MacAulay, L. Ramsay, R. Waugh and W. T. B. Thomas

Scottish Crop Research Institute, Invergowrie, Dundee, DD2 5DA, UK,
E-mail: wthoma@scri.sari.ac.uk

We analysed 120 spring and winter barley lines that were placed on the NIAB and SAC Recommended Lists from 1980 to 2000, together with 217 genotypes from the European Core Collection. Analysis of UK cereal seed certification data showed that, over their commercial lifetime, more than 30,000 t of certified seed was produced for 16 winter and 16 spring cultivars and these were considered to be commercially successful. We divided the genotypes into three pools: (1) Successful Recommended cultivars; (2) Unsuccessful Recommended cultivars; (3) Remainder of European Core Collection. All the genotypes were scanned for variation at the DNA level by using SCRIs standard set of 48 previously mapped SSR markers. The marker fragments fro each SSR primer pair were then converted into alleles according to the frequencies of each fragment size and coded accordingly. Analysis of the resulting data showed that there were clear differences between the germplasm groups at a number of loci across all seven chromosomes. We obtained yield data from the Recommended List Trials (supplied by Crop Evaluation Limited). Analysis of the combined phenotypic and genotypic data showed that some of the loci where differences in allele frequencies were detected were also associated with significant differences in yield, most of which were in regions of the genome that had also been revealed by more than one QTL study.

Challenges and Achievements of Barley Breeding in Brazil

E. Minella

Embrapa Trigo, 99001-970 Passo Fundo, RS, Brazil,
E-mail: eminella@cnpt.embrapa.br

Malt consumption in Brazil is currently close to one million metric tons/year. Only 20% is made from local barley. Potentially, barley and malt industries could grow three and five folds, respectively, to supply current needs. Since its beginnig production went through several ups and downs, but through a substantial increase in the last decade, being currently stabilized at 300,000 tons/year. Production is concentrated in the south, where cool temperatures favor malting quality. Major growing areas are between latitudes 24° and 31°S, in the highland plateaus of Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina and Parana states. Acidity/aluminum toxicity restricts deep root growth, rendering barley vulnerable to drought. The climate is a humid subtropical and frequent spring excessive rainfall is the most limiting factor for malting quality. Other frequent adverse factors are fungal and virus diseases, seasonal drought and temperature stresses (heat, frost). Since its onset (1920), breeding has been challenged to tailor genotypes agronomically superior and satisfactory in malting quality, adapted to an environment quite different from the one barley evolved. Although the ideal plant phenotype for this environments is still far away, local breeding has released succesfull varieties that played a major role in increasing the competitiveness of the crop. Modern varieties (BRS 195 and BRS 225) are much better adapted than previous ones (FM 404 and MN 698) because they combine competitive yield and quality potential with resistance to lodging and to foliar diseases (mildew, leaf rust and net blotch).

Characterising the New Malting Barley Cultivars Hamelin
and Baudin from Western Australia

B. H. Paynter1, R. J. Jettner2, R. C. M. Lance3, C. D. Li3, A. W. Tarr3 and L. Schulz4

Western Australia Department of Agriculture 1Northam, WA 6401, 2Albany, WA 6330, 3South Perth,
WA 6151 and 4Esperance, WA 6450, Australia, E-mail: bpaynter@agric.wa.gov.au

In November 2002, the Department of Agriculture Western Australia in conjunction with the Western Malting Barley Council released two new two-row, spring barley varieties with Provisional Malting Classification. The varieties were named Hamelin (pronounced Ham-lin) and Baudin (pronounced Bow-dan) after two French explorers who visited Western Australia in 1801. Hamelin is derived from a Stirling/Harrington cross and represents a significant improvement in malting quality over Stirling barley, the most widely sown barley. Hamelin has maintained the adaptation, response to management and high grain quality of Stirling. Hamelin is adapted to the medium and low rainfall areas, but is susceptible to pre-harvest sprouting. Baudin is derived from a Stirling/Franklin cross and like Hamelin, its malting quality is higher than both Stirling and Gairdner. Baudin is seen as an alternative to Gairdner barley where short straw, improved straw strength, a more responsive development pattern and improved grain plumpness are an advantage. Baudin is adapted to the higher rainfall regions of Western Australia due its later maturity than Stirling. Since 1999, Hamelin and Baudin have been evaluated in agronomic research trials to determine their adaptation (grain yield, grain plumpness and grain colour) to the Western Australian environment. Research has examined their response to soil type, date of seeding, seeding rate, nitrogen application and rainfall zone.

Interrelationships between Phenology and Yield of Winter Barley
in Semiarid Environment

N. Przulj1, V. Momcilovic1 and D. Knezevic2

1Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia and Montenegro,
E-mail: przulj@ifvcns.ns.ac.yu;
2ARI SERBIA Small Grains Research Centre, 34000 Kragujevac, Serbia and Montenegro

Each yield component of barley is determined by developmental events during specific phenological phases. The number of spikes per unit area is established from tillering to jointing. Spikes continue to develop between single ridge and flag leaf elongation and the number of kernels per spike is established from jointing, i.e., it starts from double-ridge of apical meristem development and sets shortly after anthesis. Duration and rate of grain filling determines kernel weight. The objectives of this study were to examine the variation and relationships among phenology and yield components. Twenty-four winter barley cultivars were used in this investigation. The stage of leaf development of the main culm was referenced to the Haun scale. All phenological measurements were assessed using growing degree days (GDD) with a base temperature of 0°C. The relationship between kernel weight and GDD accumulated from anthesis for each plot was determined by fitting the quadratic polynomial. The duration from planting to flag leaf was 1223 GDD across two-rowed varieties and 1304 GDD across six-rowed varieties. The variety NS 519 had the shortest grain fill period (648 GDD), the variety Marinka the longest (940 GDD). GF rate was mainly determined by genotype (44.3% of total variation) and G × Y interaction (31.1% of total variation). GF rate across two-rowed varieties was rather higher (7.251 mg/100 GDD) than across six-rowed varieties (6.395 mg/100 GDD). The duration of the vegetative and generative phases should be balanced, since neither too early nor too late a flowering will bring maximum yields. Our results show that the pre-heading period varied more than the grain filling period in the tested varieties. Selection for shorter vegetative period and longer grain filling period is recommended in the development of varieties for semiarid conditions of growing.

The Malting Quality of European Malting Barley Varieties
in Estonian Conditions

U. Tamm and H. Kueuets

Joegeva Plant Breeding Institute, Joegeva, 48309, Estonia,
E-mail: ylle.tamm@jpbi.ee

The trials of malting barley varieties were carried out in 19912001 at the Jgeva Plant Breeding Institute in Estonia. The malt analyses were made at the VTT Biotechnology in Finland. The objective of the study was to estimate the malt quality of European malting barley varieties. 70 malting barley varieties of Northen region of European Brewery Convention (EBC) were included in the trial. Cv. Alexiswas used as a standard in 19911995 and cv. Scarlett in 19972001. Most of the tested varieties showed excellent or good level of extract yield, -glucan content, viscosity and diastatic power. Maresi, Landora (Germany), Caruso, Miralix (Denmark), Wikingett (Sweden) and Brise (Great Britain) showed the highest level of extract yield compared to standard varieties. -glucan content of the varieties Chariot (Great Britain), Caruso (Denmark), Potter (Sweden), Pasadena and Annabell (Germany) showed excellent level of this quality trait. The varieties Annabell (Germany), Maud (Sweden), Extract, Saloon, Prestige (Great Britain) and Astoria (France) showed lower level of viscosity. The varieties Elo (Estonia), Cork (Great Britain), Extract and Laura (Germany) showed the highest level of the diastatic power when compared to the standard varieties.

Comparison of Agronomic and Nutritional Parameters Stability
in Hulless and Hulled Barley

K. Vaculova1, M. Spunarova1, J. Milotova1, J. Ehrenbergerova2, E. Candrakova3
and L. Legzdina4

1Agricultural Research Institute Kromeriz, Ltd., 767 01 Kromeriz, Czech Republic,
E-mail: vaculova@vukrom.cz;
2Mendel University of Agriculture and Forestry Brno, 613 00 Brno, Czech Republic;
3Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra, 949 76 Nitra, Slovak Republic;
4Priekuli Plant Breeding Station, Priekuli, LV-4126, Latvia

No varieties of hulless barley are registered in countries of Central and Eastern Europe even though their development used to be part of breeding programmes aiming particularly at improved feeding grain quality over the past decades. A currently increasing interest in hulless barley grain production results from higher requirements of consumers for a wider assortment of foods and feeds, improved nutritional quality of cereal products and as well as possibilities of effective use of growing areas that are less favourable for production of quality malting barley. A set of selected varieties, new breeding lines and genetic resources of spring barley with hulless grain was grown at two locations in the Czech Republic, Latvia and Slovakia in 20002003. In comparison with hulled barleys, the productive hulless materials exhibited a wider variation in selected agronomic traits and some quality parameters during years (mostly in starch), while interactions associated with the origin, row type and a thorough breeding level in individual genotypes are necessary to consider. The obtained results proved that there is a possibility of developing and/or selecting hulless barley materials with a high stability of desired traits and parameters that can simultaneously meet differentiated food requirements for nutritional grain quality. Particular hulless barley genotypes, their responses to different soil and climatic conditions and prospects of their use in practical growing are discussed in detail.

Supported by the Ministry of Agriculture of the Czech Republic, Projects QD 0057, QD 0183 and QE 1093.