Hulless Barley Research Articles

Identification of mutations related to phytate accumulation in barley kernels

Aim. To conduct DNA marker testing on a sample of Ukrainian selection barley samples for identify various lpa-mutations that affect to the qualitative composition of phosphorus in barley grains. Мethods. Isolation of DNA (CTAB method), polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and electrophoretic determination of DNA amplification products in agarose gel for the identification of lpa mutations in barley grains. Results. The conducted molecular genetic studies of 20 breeding lines of hulless barley made possible to identify samples that have lpa-1 and lpa-2 mutations. The presence of such mutant genes determines a low content of organic (unavailable inorganic) phosphorus and an increased content of mineral (available) phosphorus that can be absorbed by the human body. Conclusions. The applied methods of identification of lpa-1 and lpa-2 mutations that affecting to the phytate content in whole grain barley allow for effective analysis of selection lines and mutant samples that can be used in future crossing schemes.

The toxic mechanism of tetracycline on root tips in hulless barley (Hordeum vulgare L. var. nudum)

Tetracycline (TC) is a commonly used antibiotic that affects various physiological processes in plants. However, its negative effects on plants remain poorly understood at the molecular level. To ascertain the TC toxicity in the roots, transcriptomic, cytological, and physiological analyses were performed to explore the molecular mechanisms of TC influencing the growth of hulless barley root. At a low concentration (1 mg/L), TC promoted root growth by upregulating the genes related to the flavonoid pathway. At high concentrations (10, 100, and 200 mg/L), TC downregulated genes related to homologous recombination in the root meristem zone and inhibited the mitosis index by 16.4%. Disruption of the DNA repair process can lead to chromosomal aberrations, resulting in a 6.8% C-mitosis rate in the most severe cases. Finally, root growth was inhibited by TC, as evidenced by a reduction in root viability, an increase in reactive oxygen species content, and an inhibition of root length. Cross-comparison of physiological and cytological characterizations and transcriptomic information revealed changes in genetic processes under TC stress. Overall, we present an early genetic strategy to study the significant influence of TC stress on roots.

Determination of Optimum Gamma Ray Irradiation Doses for Hulless Barley (Hordeum vulgare var. nudum L. Hook. f.) Genotypes

The limited germplasm resources of hulless barley restrict the breeding of hulless barley with improved traits. Mutation techniques are an effective tool for generating variation for plant breeding studies. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of gamma-ray at different doses on certain seedling properties of M1 plants of two hulless barley genotypes, as well as determine the effective dose (ED50). The seeds of two hulless two-row barley genotypes, cv. Yalin and hulless barley line YAA7050-14, were irradiated with 100, 150, 200, 250, and 300 gray Gamma-rays delivered by a Cobalt 60 source along with non-irradiated control samples. Gamma-ray irradiation affects the seedling properties of M1 plants of both hulless barley genotypes significantly. The significant effect varied based on the doses, traits, and genotypes. While lower doses were found statistically identical to the control in the majority of qualities in the M1 generation, 250-300 gray gamma ray doses caused statistically significant decreases in the majority of characteristics studied in both genotypes. The effective doses (ED50) for hulless barley genotypes were determined by plotting growth reduction values of seedling lengths, then the polynomial regression equations were calculated for each genotype. It was determined that 50% growth reduction in shoot length was reached at 214.1 Gy and 253.4 Gy for cv. Yalin and line YAA7050-14, respectively.

Transcriptome Screening of Long Noncoding RNAs and Their Target Protein-Coding Genes Unmasks a Dynamic Portrait of Seed Coat Coloration Associated with Anthocyanins in Tibetan Hulless Barley.

Many plants have the capability to accumulate anthocyanins for coloration, and anthocyanins are advantageous to human health. In the case of hulless barley (Hordeum vulgare L. var. nudum), investigation into the mechanism of anthocyanin formation is limited to the level of protein-coding genes (PCGs). Here, we conducted a comprehensive bioinformatics analysis to identify a total of 9414 long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) in the seed coats of purple and white hulless barley along a developmental gradient. Transcriptome-wide profiles of lncRNAs documented several properties, including GC content fluctuation, uneven length, a diverse range of exon numbers, and a wide variety of transcript classifications. We found that certain lncRNAs in hulless barley possess detectable sequence conservation with Hordeum vulgare and other monocots. Furthermore, both differentially expressed lncRNAs (DElncRNAs) and PCGs (DEPCGs) were concentrated in the later seed development stages. On the one hand, DElncRNAs could potentially cis-regulate DEPCGs associated with multiple metabolic pathways, including flavonoid and anthocyanin biosynthesis in the late milk and soft dough stages. On the other hand, there was an opportunity for trans-regulated lncRNAs in the color-forming module to affect seed coat color by upregulating PCGs in the anthocyanin pathway. In addition, the interweaving of hulless barley lncRNAs and diverse TFs may function in seed coat coloration. Notably, we depicted a dynamic portrait of the anthocyanin synthesis pathway containing hulless barley lncRNAs. Therefore, this work provides valuable gene resources and more insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying anthocyanin accumulation in hulless barley from the perspective of lncRNAs, which facilitate the development of molecular design breeding in crops.

Influence of Cobalt, Cesium, and Combined Stresses on Physiological Parameters and Gene Expression of Two Hullless Barley Varieties

Influence of Cobalt, Cesium, and Combined Stresses on Physiological Parameters and Gene Expression of Two Hullless Barley Varieties

Bioaccessibility of ferulic acid in hulless barley varieties at stages of simulated in vitro digestion

AbstractBackground and ObjectivesFerulic acid has antioxidant, anti‐inflammatory, and antimicrobial activity. Ferulic acid in barley is present in esterified form in the bran layer, however, only the free form is bioaccessible in the upper gastrointestinal tract. The objectives of this study were to investigate the bioaccessibility of ferulic acid at four stages of simulated gastrointestinal digestion of two barley varieties to determine when ferulic acid is released and investigate factors which may affect the release of ferulic acid including digestive enzymes and pH.FindingsThe release of ferulic acid was strongly influenced by digestive enzymes and minimally by pH. The presence of enzymes reduced free ferulic acid but increased the amount of esterified ferulic acid. The major release of esterified ferulic acid occurred during the final hour of small intestinal digestion. The amount of bioaccessible ferulic acid remained constant throughout digestion. The bran thickness, measured by microCT imaging, significantly differed between the varieties.ConclusionDuring digestion, ferulic acid changed structurally, as observed by the changes in the amount of free and esterified ferulic acid at four digestion timepoints. The release of ferulic acid was strongly influenced by exposure to digestive enzymes and minimally by pH, although the mechanism of the presence of enzymes on ferulic acid release is unclear. The bioaccessibility of ferulic acid may be determined by the bran layer thickness and further investigation is required.Significance and NoveltyThis is the first study to investigate the bioaccessibility of ferulic acid in barley at various stages of digestion and to measure the bran thickness of barley using microCT imaging with preliminary findings indicating enhanced ferulic acid bioaccessibility in grains with a thinner bran layer.

Cloning, subcellular localization and expression of phosphate transporter gene HvPT6 of hulless barley.

Deficiency of phosphate (Pi) is one of the main growth-limiting factors for crops. Generally, phosphate transporters play a key role in the uptake of P in the crops. However, current knowledge regarding the molecular mechanism underlying Pi transport is still limited. In this study, a phosphate transporter (PT) gene, designated HvPT6, was isolated from a cDNA library constructed from hulless barley "Kunlun 14." The promoter of HvPT6 showed a large number of elements related to plant hormones. The expression pattern also indicated that HvPT6 was highly induced by low phosphorus, drought, abscisic acid, methyl jasmonate and gibberellin. Phylogenetic tree analysis revealed that HvPT6 belongs to the same subfamily of the major facilitator superfamily as OsPT6 from Oryza sativa. Subcellular localization of HvPT6:GFP using transient expression of Agrobacterium tumefaciens showed the green fluorescent protein signal in the membrane and nucleus of the Nicotiana benthamiana leaves. Overexpressing HvPT6 led to a longer and higher lateral root length and dry matter yield in the transgenic Arabidopsis lines under low Pi conditions, indicating that HvPT6 improves plant tolerance under Pi-deficient conditions. This study will lay a molecular basis for phosphate absorption mechanism in barley and breeding barley with high-efficient phosphate uptake.

Effect of various thermal processing on the structural and in vitro prebiotic characteristics of β-glucan from Hulless Barley

The favorable prebiotic effect of cereal β-glucans is associated with its structure characteristic, which may be influenced by thermal processing. This study aimed to evaluate the structure and in vitro fermentation characteristics of β-glucan isolated from hulless barley preprocessed with flaking-roasting (FR), stir-frying (SF), steam-flash explosion (SFE) and popping expansion (PE). The results showed that all thermal processing had no impact on the type of chemical groups. Compared with the native β-glucan, the molecular weight of PE-β-glucan increased from 147.36 × 103 Da to 5, 243.60 × 103 Da, whereas its crystallinity index decreasing from 52.9 ± 0.7% to 41.5 ± 1.1%. Furthermore, the PE-β-glucan exhibited a porous structure like that in native β-glucan, while the SFE-β-glucan displayed a compacted structure with the lowest molecular weight (89.90 × 103 Da). Expectedly, PE-β-glucan exerted the highest availability and increased the relative abundance of Bifidobacterium, while FR-, SF-, and SFE-β-glucan tended to promote the growth of Megasphaera and Lactobacillus. Additionally, the level of total SCFAs, acetate, propionate, and butyrate in PE-β-glucan were dramatically higher than those in other β-glucan. Overall, the chain conformation of β-glucan played a pivotal role in determining its bioavailability and probiotic characteristic, which could be improved evidently by PE processing.

Influences of Organic Acid Salts and Bacterial Additives on Fermentation Profile, Aerobic Stability, and In Vitro Digestibility of Total Mixed Ration Silage Prepared with Wet Hulless Barley Distillers’ Grains

This study aimed to investigate the impacts of three organic acid salts and two bacterial additives on the fermentation profile, in vitro digestibility and gas production, and aerobic stability of total mixed ration (TMR) silage prepared with 10% fresh weight (FW) of wet hulless barley distillers’ grains (WHDG), 35% FW of common vetch, 15% FW of whole-crop oat, 10% FW of hulless barley straw, and 30% FW of mixed concentrate. The total mixed ration (555 g kg−1 FW) was ensiled with six treatments: (1) no additives (control); (2) calcium propionate (CAP; 0.5% FW); (3) potassium sorbate (POS; 0.1% FW); (4) sodium diacetate (SDA; 0.5% FW); (5) Lactobacillus buchneri (LB; 1 × 106 cfu g−1 FW); and (6) Lactobacillus casei (LAC; 1 × 106 cfu g−1 FW). All silos (20 L) were opened for the fermentation profile and in vitro digestibility analysis after 95 days of fermentation, and then subjected to an aerobic stability experiment for 14 days. All the TMR silage was well preserved with a low pH (4.32~4.51), acceptable levels of butyric acid (1.34~1.56 g kg−1 dry matter), and ammonia nitrogen (69.1~87.1 g kg−1 total nitrogen). All the groups were steady during aerobic exposure, while the SDA treatment was more stable with lower populations of undesirable microorganisms on day 14. The CAP, POS, and SDA treatments evidently (p < 0.05) enhanced the in vitro digestibility of dry matter (54.8~57.5 vs. 48.4%) and neutral detergent fiber (48.4~51.6 vs. 41.1%) compared to the control. By comprehensive consideration, SDA is recommended as additive to enhance fermentation quality, aerobic stability, and in vitro digestibility of TMR silage containing 10% FW of WHDG.

Genome-Wide DNA Methylation Dynamics During Drought Responsiveness in Tibetan Hulless Barley

Differences in drought stress tolerance within diverse grass genotypes have been attributed to epigenetic modifications. DNA methylation is an important epigenetic alteration regulating responses to drought stress. However, its effects on drought tolerance are poorly understood in Tibetan hulless barley. Here, bisulfite sequencing was conducted to profile the DNA methylation patterns of drought-tolerant variety (XL) and drought-sensitive (DQ) under drought and control conditions. A total of 5843 million reads were generated. We found the significant genome-wide changes in CHH methylation rates between XL and DQ, while CG or CHG methylation rates did not. Besides that, the two contrasting varieties do reveal distinct responses to drought stress in antioxidant activities and differentially methylated regions (DMRs). Genes in drought-tolerant varieties XL are rapidly and significantly methylated when exposed to drought stimulus. These DMRs-related genes in XL are significantly enriched in defense response and response to stimuli via gene-ontology enrichment analysis. Then, we focused on 1003 transcription factors and identified 15 specific DMRs-related transcription factors exhibiting specific methylation changes under drought stimuli. Finally, we identified three DMRs-related TFs (HvRR12, HvRR2, and HvCSP41B), where Arabidopsis homologs involve in responses to drought conditions. Altogether, abiotic stresses could be rapidly respond and mediated by methylation of transcription factors in hulless barely.

QTL localisation of seed-related traits in Tibetan hulless barley based on a high-density single-nucleotide polymorphism genetic map

The effective use of high-quality and high-yielding germplasm resources is of great importance for the development of hulless barley varieties. Therefore, the search for such resources has long been a goal of the breeding community. In this study, a genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) analysis was performed on an F2 (Nierumuzha × Kunlun 10) population. A high-density genetic map of hulless barley was constructed, which contained 1 475 efficient single-nucleotide polymorphism markers with 7 052 bin markers. The total length of the seven chromosomes was 1 139.4 cM, with an average marker distance of 0.59 cM. Based on this high-density linkage map, a total of 54 quantitative trait loci (QTLs) related to the seed traits were detected, including seed colour (SC), thousand kernel weight (TKW), seed average area (SAA), seed perimeter (SP), seed length (SL), seed width (SW), seed length/width (SLW), seed diameter (SD), and seed circular degree (SCD). These QTLs explained 3.32–35.73% (mean = 11.45%) of the phenotypic interpretation, including 24 main QTLs and 30 epistatic QTLs. A total of 24 candidate genes were identified within the QTL region, including one SC-associated transcription factor (ANT1), two TSW-related genes, a transcription factor (NAC021), a gene associated with the non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) pathway (ku70), three SAA-associated genes (LOL2, NAC021, TSK), two SL-associated genes (MADS21, MADS4), six SW-associated genes (FIP1, NAC021, DREB 1A, HVA22A, CYP78A6, SAUR71), five LW-related genes (NAM-B2, CRY1, LHY, CYP710A1, WRKY72), two SP-related genes (SKIP11, TCP18), two SD-related genes (NAC021, SKIP8), and three SCD-related genes (MYB1R1, RAX3, NAC100). These genes are involved in the regulation of the cell development, material transport, signal transduction, and plant morphogenesis and play an important role in the regulation of agronomic traits in hulless barley. The high-density genetic mapping and QTL identification of the seed traits in hulless barley provide a valuable genetic resource and the basis for further molecular marker-assisted selection and genomic studies.

Alkaline Extracted Purified Polysaccharide from Hulless Barley Grass and Its Proliferation Inhibitory Effect Against Cancer Cells

AbstractHulless barley (HB) grass is a potential resource of functional food. In this study, the proliferation inhibitory effect against cancer cells of an alkaline extracted polysaccharide (APP) from HB grass (HBG) is analyzed. The yield of crude alkaline extracted polysaccharide (APC) reaches 15.1%. After purification, the purity and polydispersity index (PDI) of the APP are 98.3% and 1.38, respectively. The molecular weight of APP is 5.1 × 105 Da, whereas the number‐average molecular weight of APP is 3.7 × 105 Da. APP is composed of arabinose (37.8%), xylose (41.3%), glucose (4.6%), and galactose (16.3%). According to the infrared spectral analysis, APP is found to contain β‐glycosidic bonds. Moreover, APP possesses significant cell proliferation inhibitory effects against various cancer cell lines, such as 4T1, HT29, Caco‐2, and CT26.WT in a dose‐dependent manner. Notably, the IC50 value of 4T1 reaches 7.56 mg mL−1, which indicates that APP from HBG has a potential anti‐cancer effect in vitro. It may be further investigated as an ingredient or nutraceutical for development and utilization in functional foods to prevent or treat cancer and related diseases.

Identification of a novel transcription factor under long-term drought resistance in highland barley: a DNA affinity purification sequencing-based transcriptomic analysis

Stress emanating from drought condition is one of the inevitable conditions that occurs in many environments and spread across borders and results in severe hindrance to the morphology, physiology, biochemistry and molecular attributes of plants. Highland barley drought tolerance has been demonstrated to be a polygenic related characteristic and genetic composition that can assist in dissecting the gene network(s) controlling the drought tolerance needs to be adequately understood. DNA affinity purification sequencing (DAP-seq) has been shown to contribute to ways of making pure some of the protein with rare sequence-specific DNA binding and can help understand the molecular dynamics in barley under varying exposure time to drought. The present study aimed at identifying novel transcription factors (TFs) in highland barley that are key in drought resistance through DAP-seq-based transcriptomic analysis. The experimental design included two hulless barley accessions; drought-resistant Sheera 10 (X) and drought-sensitive 5171–7 (W), that were both subjected to short-term (4 h) and long-term (48 h) exposure to drought (T1 and T5, respectively), with the control group (CK) involving not subjecting the two accessions to any treatment. Through transcriptome analysis, one candidate transcription factor (GATA family; (bHLH, MYB-related, GARP-G2-like, bZIP, HB-HD-ZIP, C2H2, SET, mTERF, AP2/ERF-ERF, ARID, NAC, GARP-ARR-B, C2C2-GATA, FAR1, Trihelix, NF-YB, B3 and AUX/IAA) was found. The motif obtained was found to be consistent with GATA transcription factor. The DAP-seq highlighted the differential expression target gene which were verified by RT-qPCR. The associated genes were found to be a cluster of structural gene IP_HOR_1, IP_HOR_2 and In_HOR locus. Through RT-qPCR, it was also proved that the gene expressions were indeed upregulated. The TF HOVUSG2784400 was confirmed to be responsible to drought stress under long-term exposure, which regulates the differential expression of the genes, thereby improving the drought resistance of barley.Graphical

Identifying physical, chemical and biological characteristics to assess grain processing responses of barley as a trait for the selection of feed varieties for cattle

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of barley hull type (hulled vs. hulless) and head type (two- vs. six-row) on kernel characteristics, particle size distribution (PSD), gas production (GP) kinetics and in vitro dry matter disappearance (DMD) in batch cultures. All barley grain was dry-rolled to a processing index (PI) of 0.80 and barley types were evenly distributed within each in vitro run. Kernel uniformity and PSD on 3.35-, 2.36-, 1.18-, 0.85-mm sieves, GP kinetics and DMD at 6 and 48 h of incubation were measured. For both hulless and hulled barley, two-row types tended to exhibit higher test weight, plumpness, ether extract, starch and β-glucan contents than six-row types. A hull type × head type interaction (P < 0.01) was noted for kernel uniformity and particles retained on 3.35- and 2.36 mm sieves. For both hulled and hulless barley, more (P < 0.05) kernels were retained on the 3.35 mm sieve for two- vs. six-row, but this pattern was the opposite on the 2.36-mm sieve, where six-row exceeded two-row. For rolled-hulled barley, more particles (P < 0.05) were captured on 3.35-mm sieve for two- vs. six row, whereas the opposite response was observed for the 2.36-mm sieve. In contrast, for rolled- hulless barley, more (P < 0.01) particles were captured on the 1.18 and 2.36 mm sieves, with a similar distribution between head types. The accumulative gas volume (GV, mL/g OM), GP rate, and average gas production rate (AGPR) were higher (P < 0.01) for hulless than hulled barley. However, the time when half of GV occurred (T1/2) was higher (P < 0.01) for hulled than hulless varieties. The DMD at 6 and 48 h of incubation were also higher (P < 0.01) for hulless than hulled barley. In general, GP kinetics and DMD at 6 and 48 h were lower (P < 0.01) for six- than two-row types, with the exception of T1/2 which was greater (P < 0.01) for six-row. The GP and DMD at 6 and 48 h were strongly correlated with finer particles. The results suggest that hull and head types can have a significant impact on the rate and extent of barley grain digestion. Differences in PSD of rolled barley along with the positive correlation between fine particles and rumen fermentation, presents an opportunity to select barley varieties that could enhance rumen function responses in addition to agronomic traits.

Flavor characteristics of hulless barley wine fermented with mixed starters by molds and yeasts isolated from Jiuqu

The traditional natural Jiuqu for brewing hulless barley wine contains a variety of complex microorganisms and enzymes. The uncertainty of microbial composition in Jiuqu and the existence of some miscellaneous microorganisms are not conducive to the production of high-quality hulless barley wine. In order to improve the flavor quality of hulless barley wine, the mixed starter was designed to reconstruct the fermentation microbial flora. Mold strains with high saccharification ability and yeast strains with good fermentation performance were screened from the traditional natural Jiuqu for brewing hulless barley wine and were identified. And then, mixed starters by molds and yeasts were used to ferment hulless barley wines on a laboratory scale. The physicochemical indexes, sensory evaluation, volatile flavor compounds and electronic nose (E-nose) analysis of hulless barley wine brewed by different combinations of mold and yeast were analyzed. The hulless barley wine (W4 wine) brewed by the mixed starter Q4, which combined by Rhizopus oryzae, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Wickerhamomyces anomalus, had the best volatile flavor and sensory score. This improvement was mainly reflected in the higher content of esters (252.62 ± 0.02 mg/L) and alcohols (72.77 ± 2.03 mg/L), with esters accounting for 67.37 % of the volatile flavor compounds. In addition, the sensory score of "bitter" was the lowest in W4 wine while the scores of "sweet", "wine-aroma" and "fruit-aroma" were the highest. These results demonstrated that the mixed starter Q4 could effectively improve the flavor of hulless barley wine.

A comparison between partially peeled hulless barley and whole grain hulless barley: beneficial effects on the regulation of serum glucose and the gut microbiota in high-fat diet-induced obese mice.

Though the hypoglycemic effect of whole grain hulless barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) has been documented, whether glucose metabolism would be improved by hulless barley with moderate peeling is still unclear. The purpose of this study was to compare the differences in glucose metabolism and gut microbiota between partially (10%) peeled hulless barley (PHB) and whole grain hulless barley (WHB) intervention in obese mice induced by a high-fat diet. The results showed that both PHB and WHB interventions significantly improved the impaired glucose tolerance, fat accumulation in fat and liver tissues, and the impaired intestinal barrier in mice. The dysbiosis of gut microbiota was improved and the relative abundance of some beneficial bacteria such as genera Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Ileibacterium, and norank_f__Mutibaculaceae was increased by both, PHB and WHB, interventions. Spearman correlation analysis revealed that the abundance of Bifidobacterium was negatively correlated with the area under the blood glucose curve. In conclusion, our results provide evidence that hulless barley improved the gut microbiota and impaired glucose tolerance in mice, and also showed that there was little loss of hypoglycemic effect even when hulless barley was moderately peeled.

Elucidating the physical, morphometric, nutritional, and bioactive properties of selected highland crops viz. hull-less barley, buckwheat, and black rice for novel food formulation

Highland crops have drawn increased interest as functional foods due to the abundance of bioactive chemicals with health advantages, including antioxidant and immunomodulatory activity.

Formation of the main structure elements of the hulless spring barley crop depending on the fertilizer

Formation of the main structure elements of the hulless spring barley crop depending on the fertilizer

Impact of Qingke (hulless barley) application on antioxidant capacity and flavor compounds of beer

As a promising adjunct material to beer brewing, Qingke (hulless barley) can provide sufficient hydrolyzable starch and rich nutrients for beer brewing. In this study, the effect of Qingke addition on the physicochemical properties, antioxidant capacity and flavor composition of beer was evaluated. The results showed that the addition of Qingke reduced the turbidity (25.03 NTU) and color (19.48 EBC) of the beer. The Qingke adjunct beer was enriched with more bioactive substances, which also made the Qingke adjunct beer exhibit better antioxidant capacity. The addition of Qingke resulted in elevated levels of higher alcohols (68.29 mg/L) and esters (76.71 mg/L). The addition of Qingke decreased the amount of volatile acid in the beer (5.84 mg/L). This study has guiding significance for the application of Qingke in beer industry.

Impacts of climate change on hulless barley security in plateau region: A case study of Lhasa River basin in Tibet, China

AbstractAccurate understanding of the impacts of climate change on hulless barley and river in the Lhasa River Basin is of great significance to food security and water resources management in the plateau region. It is important to explore the relationship between hulless barley and river under the background of climate change for the comprehensive and coordinated development of agriculture and water conservancy. Based on the Google Earth Engine (GEE) cloud computing platform, the Random Forest algorithm was used to obtain the spatio‐temporal variation of hulless barley and river in the Lhasa River Basin from 2010 to 2020. The overall accuracy and Kappa coefficient of classification results were 89.54% and 85.96%, respectively. The average area and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) of hulless barley from 2010 to 2020 were 178.46 km2 and 0.69, respectively. The increase of accumulated precipitation, number of precipitation days, average dew point temperature (ADPT) and average wind speed (AWS) promoted the growth of hulless barley, with NDVI significant increasing rate of 0.0173 (R2 = 0.764, p &lt; 0.001). The combined effects of human activities (construction of water conservancy facilities and mining activities), ADPT and AWS resulted in a significant decrease (decreasing rate: 10.8682 km2/year, p &lt; 0.01) in river area during 2010–2020. There was a significant negative correlation (R2 = 0.722, p &lt; 0.01) between hulless barley NDVI and river area driven by climate factors. The changes in hulless barley gravity center and river gravity center were consistent, and both shifted in the northeast direction. These results provide a scientific understanding of the impacts of plateau climate change on agriculture and water resource. The land cover maps of the Lhasa River Basin with long time series and high spatial resolution were drawn. Our study verified the relevance between hulless barley gravity center and river gravity center as well as the internal relationship between hulless barley growth and river area. Furthermore, we explored the interrelation relationships among hulless barley, the Lhasa River area and climate factors.