Heterosis and Hybrid Seed Production in Barley

Abstract

The successful use of hybrid cultivars depends upon the existence of an economically significant level of heterosis, sufficient cross-pollination to make hybrid seed production cost competitive and an efficient and reliable system of producing the female parent of the hybrid. The possibilities of commercial exploitation of heterosis in barley have been discussed since the description of the first genetic male sterile by Suneson (1940). A number of genetic and cytogenetic schemes have been proposed to use genetic male sterility in commercial hybrid seed production. A cytoplasmic male sterile system that is similar to the systems that are used to produce hybrid maize, sorghum and other crops has been described (Ahokas 1979a). The only commercial production of hybrid barley used a genetic recessive gene for male sterility in a balanced tertiary trisomic system (Ramage 1965).