The use of wild barley in crosses for grain production under dryland conditions

Abstract

Crosses of wild barley (Hordeum vulgare ssp. spontaneum and Hordeum vulgare ssp. agriocrithon) with Hordeum vulgare ssp. vulgare were used to select high yielding grain types under dryland Mediterranean conditions. No special difficulties were faced in making the crosses, in eliminating the brittle rachis genes from the grain types or in selecting 6-rowed types in crosses between 2-rowed wild barley and 6-rowed ssp. vulgare varieties. Brittle rachis genotypes, present in the segregating populations were used in developing self-reseeding permanent pastures for dry areas. The best selections were tested in seven trials during 1989–92 and some of them outyielded their parents and also the best improved check variety by 13–22%. Indications for transgressive segregation were obtained for grain yield, straw yield, total biological yield, harvest index and volume weight. The crude protein content of some of the selections was significantly higher than that of the checks. For breeding programs aiming at large seeds, special ssp. spontaneum lines should be used as parents. High grain yield was positively correlated with high straw yield, total biological yield, earliness in heading date, high harvest index and negatively with volume weight. It was concluded that unexploited useful genes, even when not directly observed in wild barley, could be transfered easily into high yielding genotypes by breeding.