II.2 Attempts at combining the yield and protein quality in barley.
H.C. Bansal and S. Bhaskaran. Nuclear Research Laboratory, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi-110012, India.
BM 21 (6-rowed, hulled), an early dwarf mutant induced by fast neutrons in variety NP113 (Bansal, 1971) was crossed to Hiproly (CI 3947; 2-rowed, hull-less) with a view to combining high protein and high lysine with high grain yield in a dwarf and early background. BM 21 contains 2.95% lysine in comparison to 4.0% in the Hiproly. F2 population was screened with Dye Binding Capacity (DBC) technique. F2 plants showing high DBC values and high 100 kernel weight were selected and grown in the subsequent generation. F3, F4 and F5 plants selected on visual observations for plant type and bold kernels were subjected to protein analyses on a Technicon autoanalyzer. In every generation plants which had shown the values for protein content and plant yield above the population mean were selected. The norm of selection for protein content was 15%. Some of the F5 plants (6-rowed, hulled) showing high DBC values (0.220-0.250) were found to contain 16-18% grain protein. The parents BM21 and the Hiproly gave the DBC values of 0.180 and 0.270 respectively whereas grain proteins in them were 10% and 21%. High DBC selections in F5 which are dwarf and early, are being analysed for their amino acid profiles. They have also been put to rod-row yield trial.
Similarly B1 (2-rowed, hulled) which was identified as a high protein genotype (B.G.N.4, 1974) was crossed to BM21. B1 is a strain where there has been an overall improvement in protein content and quality. It has been found to be a good combiner also. Screening for protein by autoanalyzer in the F2, F3 and F4 generations has led us to select some promising F4 plants (6-rowed) combining high lO00 kernel weight (44-46g) and protein to the level of 15-16%.
Following the system of continued selfing in both these crosses there has been a marginal improvement in combining the plant yield and protein quality. For further advancement in the yield along with high protein and high lysine, recourse to full-sib mating may help in enhancing the chances of breaking tight undesirable linkages. The progenies of the cross would be inter-mated at random (instead of selfing) and the generations of the intercrossed population would be screened for high yield and high protein quality.
References:
Bansal, H.C. Induced polygenic variability and genetic advance for maturity in barley. Int. Symp. on Use of Isotopes and Radiation in Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Research, New Delhi, 1971, pp. 146-153
Bansal, H C. Identification of a new high protein strain of barley. BGN 4, 8-9, 1974.