The Influence of Genotype and Environment on Arabinoxylan and Beta-glucan Contents in Grain of Spring Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.)

Abstract

Arabinoxylan and beta-glucan contents are limiting factors for a wider use of barley production. Arabinoxylan and beta-glucan contents were assessed in grain samples in sets of seven malting hulled varieties, three hull-less lines and one hull-less spring variety grown in the localities of Branišovice, Žabčice, and Kroměříž in 2009 to 2011. Further, the effect of growing technologies on the level of these non-starch polysaccharides was studied. Variability of arabinoxylan contents was affected most significantly by a genotype and growing technology whereas variability of beta-glucan contents was mostly affected by a genotype and growing environment (interaction of year with locality). The highest values of arabinoxylans and beta-glucans were determined in the grain samples of hull-less lines (KM 1057: 6.16% of arabinoxylans and KM 2084: 6.41% of beta-glucans) and on the contrary, the lowest values of arabinoxylans were found in the grain of hull-less variety AF Lucius (3.85%) and lowest amounts of beta-glucans were found in malting variety Radegast (3.92%). The samples of the growing technology without fungicide treatment had on average more arabinoxylans and beta-glucans than the fungicide non-treated ones.