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Hybrid Performance and Combining Ability for Yield and Malt Quality in a Diallel Cross of Barley
Author(s) -
Hockett E. A.,
Cook A. F.,
Khan M. A.,
Martin J. M.,
Jones B. L.
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
crop science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.76
H-Index - 147
eISSN - 1435-0653
pISSN - 0011-183X
DOI - 10.2135/cropsci1993.0011183x003300060025x
Subject(s) - heterosis , diallel cross , biology , hybrid , cultivar , hordeum vulgare , brewing , agronomy , crop , horticulture , microbiology and biotechnology , poaceae , food science , fermentation
Breeders of autogamous crop species such as barley ( Hordeum vulgate L.) have long been interested in developing F 1 hybrids as an alternative to pure‐line cultivars in order to capitalize on the benefits of heterosis. Hybrid barley might have most commercial potential because its groin is used in the malting and brewing industry where it commands a premium price. In addition to increased grain yield, hybrids might provide an added benefit in heterosis for malting traits. Our objective was to investigate heterosis and combining ability for malting and brewing traits in a sample of barley cultivars chosen to represent a range in malting and brewing quality. Barley cultivars Harrington, Klages, Menuet, Morex, and Piroline were intercrossed in diallel fashion to produce the 10 possible F 1 hybrids. Reciprocals were produced except for Klages. Morex is six‐rowed, and the other four are two‐rowed cultivars. All but Menuet are or have been accepted malting cultivars in the USA. Parents plus the F 1 were evaluated in hill plots in 2 yr and parents plus F 2 bulks were evaluated in row plots in 1 yr at Bozeman, MT. Physical and chemical malting characteristics were measured on all groin samples. Analyses were performed to determine importance of heterosis and general combining ability (GCA) and specific combining ability (SCA) effects for yield and malting characteristics. The GCA effects were important for all traits in both years of the F 1 trial and the F 2 bulk trial, while SCA effects were important for malt protein and wort protein concentrations in both years of the Ft trial and for grain yield, kernel weight, and percent plump kernels in the F 2 trial. Reciprocal differences were generolly not important; they accounted for a significant portion of the variation among cross means only for diastatic power in both of the F 2 trials. Average heterosis (F 1 mean minus mean of parents) was detected for grain yield, kernel weight, percent plump kernels, wort protein, and wort/malt protein ratio in both F 1 trials. The heterosis for wort protein and protein ratio is undesirable for commercial use. Greatest heterosis for yield occurred between unrelated two‐rowed parents, but F 1 s with best malting quality were obtained from crosses of closely related parents with high malt quality.