Project Number: 5366-21000-024-00
Project Type: Appropriated

Start Date: Jul 06, 2003
End Date: Mar 20, 2008

Objective:
Develop, characterize, and deploy improved barley and oat cultivars. Produce barley and oat germplasm that will reduce the environmental impacts of agriculture and improve animal and human nutrition. Move traits from accessions in the National Small Grains Collection (NSGC) and other sources into improved plant types, focusing on barley for food, barley and oats for feed (particularly aquaculture feeds), and improved disease and insect resistance. Develop, evaluate, and apply technologies such as genetic transformation and marker assisted selection and devise methods for their routine application to germplasm enhancement and variety development. Problem to be Addressed: Germplasm improvement and variety release for barley and oats. This research contributes to National Program 301 Plant, Microbial, and Insect Genetic Resources, Genomics and Genetic Improvement, especially Component 2: Genomic Characterization and Genetic Improvement. Objectives of Research: New funds will be used to expand the research objective (1)Develop, characterize, and deploy improved barley and oat cultivars.

Approach:
Focus oat cultivar development on cultivars and germplasm adapted to oat production regions throughout the U.S., with emphasis on disease resistance. Focus barley cultivar development on winter malting types and spring feed and malting types specifically adapted for the intermountain west region. Employ molecular marker technologies, genetic transformation, and improved breeding strategies using modern information technology. Maintain diverse associations and collaborations with other federal, state, and industry scientists and stakeholders to efficiently use limited resources. Cooperation: The USDA-ARS ¿Barley and Oat Germplasm Evaluation and Enhancement¿ project cooperates with ¿The integration of nutritional, genetic and physiological approaches to improve production efficiency of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)¿, Project No. 5366-21310-003-00D, located at Hagerman, Idaho. Scientists include Kenneth Overturf, Frederic Barrows, and Thomas Gaylord. Collaboration is also ongoing with regional small grains breeders including Ed Souza of the University of Idaho. Expected Outcomes with Relevance to Problem Areas and Components within the NP Action Plan: Objective 1. Develop new barley and oat cultivars and germplasm lines, specifically barley for human consumption. The additional funding will be used to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) associated with high beta-glucan (BG) content in hulless barley and to develop molecular markers linked to these loci for use in marker assisted selection in the breeding program. We currently have a F3:4 RIL population from the cross Falcon/Azhul. Both Falcon and Azhul are six-rowed spring feed barleys, with Falcon having moderate levels of grain BG (4-5 percent) while Azhul has high levels (8-9 percent). Previous research has identified QTL associated with BG percentage in grain and malted grain utilizing a `Steptoe/Morex¿ population (Han et al., 1995) and in malted grain using a `Harrington/TR206¿ population (Mather et al., 1997). In both studies each parent contributed alleles for increases in BG content. Although the `Steptoe/Morex¿ population has been well characterized with many markers placed on its framework, we believe that a barley mapping population utilizing hulless parents with large differences in BG content would be useful for discovery of additional BG-QTL. Azhul is the progenitor of many varieties developed for high BG. Therefore this population could also prove useful in pyramiding BG-QTL content via marker assisted selection in variety improvement programs. The primary objective is the identification of QTL associated with grain BG in hulless barley. In addition we will identify QTL for yield, test weight, percentage plump kernels, height, lodging resistance, and percentage amylopectin. The research plan is the phenotypic and molecular analysis of a F5:7 RIL population of the cross Falcon/Azhul. This population would allow us to develop a hulless mapping population similar to that of the `Steptoe/Morex¿ population. Replacing 5366-21000-016-00D. 7/2003 BSL-1; 06/04/2004 BSL-1; 05/10/2005 FY06 Program Increase $22,275 12/19/05 BSL-1; 2/6/2007