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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Aberdeen, Idaho » Small Grains and Potato Germplasm Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #334161
Title: Registration of Sawtooth low-phytate, hulled spring barley

Author
item Bregitzer, Paul
item Hu, Gongshe
item MARSHALL, JULIET - University Of Idaho
item Raboy, Victor

Submitted to: Journal of Plant Registrations
Publication Type: Germplasm Registration
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/16/2016
Publication Date: 4/27/2017
Citation: Bregitzer, P.P., Hu, G., Marshall, J.M., Raboy, V. 2017. Registration of Sawtooth low-phytate, hulled spring barley. Journal of Plant Registrations. 11:81-84.

Interpretive Summary: Barley grain—like other cereal grains and legume seeds—stores phosphorus in a form (called phytate) that cannot be digested by non-ruminant animals (like pigs) and humans, causing the phosphorus to be released unused into the environment where it becomes a water pollution problem. Phytate also ties up certain mineral nutrients and prevents them from being absorbed, which can lead to mineral deficiencies in populations that consume diets made primarily of cereal grains or legumes. Both the environmental and nutritional problems caused by phytate can be prevented by making genetic changes that drastically reduce the amount of phytate and increase the amount of available phosphorus. As part of the process of developing useful barley varieties that are improved for phosphorus availability, the Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Dept. of Agriculture (USDA-ARS) has developed and released Sawtooth, a hulless, low-phytate, spring barley. This variety, when used to feed non-ruminant animals, will enhance phosphorus and mineral nutrition and reduce phosphorus release into the environment, and may be useful as a parent for future development of improved low phytate varieties.

Technical Abstract: The Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA-ARS), has released 'Sawtooth', (Hordeum vulgare L.) (Reg. No. xxxxxx, P.I. xxxxxx). Sawtooth is a hulless, low-phytate, spring barley, the second to be developed and released by the USDA-ARS. Compared to the previously released hulless, low-phytate variety 'Clearwater', Sawtooth has higher grain yield and test weight, and performs similarly for other agronomic traits and for grain phosphorus (P) characteristics. Sawtooth can contribute to non-ruminant animal production efficiency and sustainability by reducing or eliminating the need for P or phytase supplementation, and by reducing environmental P releases from animal manure.