ARS | Publication request: Simultaneous Genetic Analysis of Winterhardiness Traits and Development of Winter Malting Barley Varieties

Submitted to: Plant and Animal Genome Conference
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: December 6, 2009
Publication Date: January 9, 2010
Citation: Fisk, S., Hayes, P., Henson, C.A., Schmitt, M., Baenziger, S., Cooper, B., Bedo, Z., Waugh, R., Cistue, L., Cuesta-Marcos, A., Filichkina, T., Corey, A. 2010. Simultaneous Genetic Analysis of Winterhardiness Traits and Development of Winter Malting Barley Varieties[abstract]. Plant and Animal Genome Conference, January 9-13, 2010, San Diego, California. Poster 311.

Technical Abstract: The practical goal of this project is to develop winter malting barley varieties with superior cold tolerance. The basic goal is to advance our understanding of the genetics of low temperature tolerance and vernalization sensitivity. By addressing the question, “Is vernalization sensitivity required for maximum cold tolerance?” we will assess the biological and commercial potential of facultative germplasm. We are using two doubled haploid (DH) populations for quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping and selection and two backcross (BC) populations for marker assisted and genomic selection (MAS; GS). All germplasm is derived from crosses between Oregon winter malting lines and cold-tolerant Nebraska winter feed lines. We will use MAS for specific genes related to cold tolerance and growth habit and GS for malting quality based on gene-specific assays and a custom 384-SNP OPA. To date, we have confirmed segregation for vernalization sensitivity under greenhouse conditions (as measured by final leaf number (FLN) and the difference in heading date between vernalized an unvernalized plants) for the two DH populations and quantitative resistance to barley stripe rust (incited by Puccinia striiformis) under field conditions for one DH population. One DH population has been submitted for malting quality assessment. Both DH populations were planted at Lincoln, NE, Fort Collins, CO, and Fairfield, MT for field assessment of cold tolerance and both will be phenotyped for cold tolerance in a controlled environment assay at the Martonvasar Research Institute in Hungary. Agronomic and quality assessments of all germplasm are underway in field experiments at Corvallis, OR.