Introductory Session

Brno City of Gregor Mendel

O. Chloupek

Mendel University of Agriculture and Forestry Brno, 613 00 Brno, Czech Republic,
E-mail: chloupek@mendelu.cz

Most of the world´s inhabitants hear the name of Brno only in lectures from biology in connection with Gregor Mendel (18221884) the founder of genetics. He came from farmer´s family and was abbot of the Augustinian monastery in Brno. He lectured in 1865 in the Natural Science Society on his Experiments with plant hybrids (Versuche über Pflanzen-Hybriden). The motivation for the experiments was breeding, in particular breeding of flowers. He grew in each of the 10 experimental years about 45 thousand plants of peas in the monastery garden. Constancy of parental varieties was proved in the first two years and their hybrids were evaluated in the eight years later. Only one of the seven alternative hybrid characters occurred in progeny of the crosses. The characters which whole or nearly without change pass over into hybrids were named dominant and the characters which were latent recessive. It was found that it is no matter if the dominant character belonged to the seed or to the pollen plant. Plant breeding practice seems to be a product of science, intuition and of experience. However, knowledge of the Mendels principles of inheritance enabled development of the intuition and critical judgement of the experience. In such a way contribute to a rational appreciation of different breeding approaches. The principles of genetics by plant breeder G. Mendel used later also human and animal geneticists. Plant geneticists learn in this time principles of gene transfer from them, since genetically modified organisms are widely used for production of important human medicaments.

International Barley Genetics Symposium, Their Mission
and Position in Barley Genetics History 19632003

J. Spunar1 and R. Nilan2

1Agricultural Research Institute Kromeriz, Ltd., 767 01 Kromeriz, Czech Republic,
E-mail: spunar@vukrom.cz; 2Washington State University, Pullmann, WA 99164-6420, USA,
E-mail: wbnilan@aol.com

The idea for an international barley genetics network and symposium evolved in 1959 in Arne Hagbergs Cytogenetics Laboratory of the Swedish Seed Association, Svalof, Sweden. Ewald Favret, Castelar, Argentina and Bob Nilan, Pullman, USA, were working there on induced mutations and chromosome aberrations in barley. The three decided to convene a meeting of the worlds barley geneticists. Thus, with the leadership and assistance of several scientists of the Netherlands the First International Barley Genetics Symposium was held in Wageningen in 1963. The history of IBGS recording the year, city, country, number of participants, and responsible person for organization are as follows:

1st IBGS 1963, Wageningen, The Netherlands (106), F. Nijdam
2nd IBGS 1968, Pullman, Washington, USA (167), Robert Nilan
3rd IBGS 1975, Garching, Munich, Germany (182), Horst Gaul
4th IBGS 1981, Edinburgh, Scotland (265), R. N. H. Whitehouse
5th IBGS 1986, Okayama, Japan (240), S. Yasuda
6th IBGS 1991, Helsinborg, Sweden (366), Roland von Bothmer
7th IBGS 1996, Saskatoon, Canada (425), Brian Harvey
8th IBGS 2000, Adelaide, Australia (357), Geoffrey Fincher
9th IBGS 2004, Brno, Czech Republic (330), Jaroslav Spunar

Each symposium dealt with the current level of barley genetics knowledge. The highlights of the individual symposia will be presented and evaluated in the full text.

From One Gene to Thousands of Genes: Perspectives
from Another Mans Life with Barley

P. M. Hayes

Department of Crop and Soil Science, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA,
E-mail: patrick.m.hayes@oregonstate.edu

It is fitting that the 9th IBGS is held in the cradle of malting barley, the home of outstanding beer, and a few hundred meters from the fields of Mendel. This historical perspective is humbling: our unparalleled insights into the structure and function of the barley genome will appear as glimmerings by the next IBGS and primitive by the next anniversary of the publication of Mendels work. Pursuing this theme of historical perspective, I have used Mendels first paper and Jack Harlans book One Mans Life With Barley as springboards for this talk. Following these leads, I will track the accelerating developments in barley genetics and breeding that have occurred during my own life with barley, starting with single gene analysis, proceeding to the reconciliation of quantitative phenotypes and DNA-level variation, and culminating in analysis of genome structure and function. A unique attribute of the barley research, production, processing and consuming communities is a simultaneous appreciation for pure science and its applications. Harlan observed, At the moment, the field of theoretical genetics may be as far removed from breeding as astronomy, but workers in that field have the possibility of uncovering the mother lode. Lode or load: this historical context will serve as a framework for discussing perspectives on recent, current and future applications of genetics to barley improvement.

Keys to Success of New Varieties to Satisfy Requirements of All Customers, Farmers, Maltsters and Brewers

G. Fouquin

Malterie Soufflet B.P.12, 10402 Nogent-sur-Seine, France,
E-mail: gfouquin.malt@soufflet-group.com

Genetic is strategic for the malting barley chain by increasing quality and decreasing cost of production. But being successfull in development of a new variety is still a challenge! Why? Because its not a classical marketing route. There are two clients for a new variety at the opposite of the chain/the farmer and the brewer. So, located in the middle of the chain, its fully the rule of the malster to manage the development of new varieties. Malteries Soufflet participate actively to define guidelines for the French malting barley chain. Malteries Soufflet build his own organisation to screen the high number of new varieties each year.

A method in three times:

micro-malting test system for breeders to help quality screening before Official Trials,
fields trials in small plots with our main suppliers,
industrial test in early stage with our main brewer-partners to avoid a late discover of functional problem in the brewery (or sometimes in the malting plant).
10 years experience in a such a competition has taught us some key points to be respected:
well known agronomic default is the more important to succeed in the career of a variety,
no variety is perfect. Define a complementary range of variety, in agronomy for different suppliers areas and in quality for all specifications of brewers over the world,
be able to realize an industrial test with a brewer before the exponential developpment of seeds production.