The Production and Utilization of Doubled Haploids in Barley Breeding

Abstract

The potential of anther culture response of four commercial barley cultivars: Abbey, Dallas, Bianka and Decado was investigated on maltose and sucrose-based media. Although there was difference in response among the genotypes the substitution of sucrose by maltose led to an improvement in anther response as well as in green plant regeneration. Higher concentrations of maltose ( 6-9% w/v) favoured regeneration via embryogenetic route. In the study of transmission of anther culture responsiveness into hybrids produced from crosses between Hordeum vulgare cv. Prisma (P) and four H. spontaneum lines (HS2, HS10, HS16 and HS20), it was found that, despite the improvement obtained using maltose, anther culture response was largely dependent on the ge~otype. A heterotic effect was also observed in the Fl hybrids. Results presented in this study also focused on the development, evaluation and exploitation of genetic markers in barley. Both protein (a-amylase, water soluble protein, grain esterase, leaf esterase and hordein) and molecular ( RAPD} markers were used as a means of detecting polymorphism in H. vulgare cv. Prisma and four H. spontaneum lines (HS2, HS10. HS16 and HS20}. Except hordein, all other markers detected polymorphism between H. vulgare and H. spontaneum. These polymorphic markers showed segregation in the five doubled haploids derived from PXHS2 hybrid.-----