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Application of innovative breeding strategies to improve malting barley for organic farming
Project
Project code: 2810OE072
Contract period: 01.04.2011
- 31.12.2014
Budget: 414,779 Euro
Purpose of research: Applied research
Among the cereals, spring barely is one of the most important species for the processing industry like mills, maltsters and brewers. During the last decade the market for organically produced malting barley increased due to the increase of the demand for organic beer and other drinks based on fermented organic barely. Nevertheless the domestic production of organic barley is not sufficient for the demand of the processing industry. For this reason a large part of the organic spring barley processed in Germany is imported. To increase the growth area of organic spring barley in Germany it is necessary to provide varieties which fulfil the special requirements of the growers regarding resistance, agronomic performance, malt quality and regional adaptation. Since the development of current varieties for conven-tional purposes aims to select intensive barley types with short straw and low protection against weed it was necessary to develop novel varieties especially for the utilization in organic farming.
In the completed research project it was possible to develop promising variety prototypes by consequent application of selection criteria for resistance, agronomic traits and malt quality during three years of multi location field trials. Starting from a set of 300 breeding lines from a F5 generation, finally four lines were selected which fulfill the requirements of a successful variety for organic farming and can be developed to varieties by the cooperating breeding organizations. Using molecular genetic markers supplementing the selection process it was possible to prove that these markers are able to identify lines with superior malting quality and improved agronomic performance. A population for genetic mapping, segregating for tolerance against loose smut derived from the established variety Steffi was characterized for its phenotypic reaction under artificial inoculation with loose smut and with a set of molecular markers. Two genetic regions of the barely genome could be identified which have influence on the tolerance of the variety Steffi to loose smut.
Section overview
Subjects
- Plant Breeding
- Organic Farming
Framework programme
Federal Organic Farming Scheme and other forms of sustainable agriculture (BÖLN)
