Validation of markers for breeding of climate-adapted and healthy barley plants

Background and Goals

This project will contribute to adapt spring barley, an important ingredient for the production of regional beer, through breeding to the changing climate conditions. By improving health and stability of yield and quality the supply of Bavarian malting barley should be ensured. The typical procedure is to select varieties of plants under the current environmental conditions. This way provides a slow adaptation to the climate change. However, to be prepared for the coming weather extremes the plant breeding research has to seek for the specific genetic background which is responsible for the tolerance against climate-induced stress. Once these markers are known a well-directed and therefore considerably faster breeding of adapted barley plants will be possible.

The selection of drought tolerant genotypes and the development of selection markers were the focus of project work at the Bavarian State Research Center for Agriculture (LfL).

Steps in the process of adaptation to climate change

Step 2a: Identify and assess risks - climate effects and impact

Approach and results

Due to hot summers and increasing global radiation, summer barley with its short growth time is already being severely affected by climate change. The breeding of stress-tolerant plants is thus becoming increasingly important in order to efficiently develop new varieties that are adapted to future climatic conditions in Bavaria and enable sustainable agriculture. Molecular genetic markers make an important contribution to this because they can be used early, are clear and independent of the environment.

Step 3: Develop and compare measures

Measures and/or strategies

An assortment of spring barley that covers a wide range of traits and genetic diversity was grown in 2016 and 2017 with various treatments in the greenhouse and on other trial fields to investigate its response to drought stress. Phenotypic characteristics in the field as well as yield components and quality parameters were recorded. In 2018 multi-site yield tests were carried out on a plot scale. The field trials were very satisfactory in all three years and led to usable results. The genotypes from the BayKlimaFit assortment differed very well for the different traits and between the treatments, so that there was sufficient variation both for the selection of interesting genotypes and for the calculation with the marker data. With the help of a stability index, it was not possible to classify varieties by means of the mean performance in terms of a feature, but also to consider the stability of a genotype. From this point of view, the modern varieties and the strains of the participating Bavarian plant breeders generally performed best, while exotic varieties ranked in the rear.

Another focus was the validation of markers that were developed in a predecessor project at the LfL in connection with dry stress tolerance. Some climatic markers with significant effects for different characteristics in the present assortment could be confirmed. There were markers that were linked only to a single feature and those that were simultaneously associated with several features positive. The latter are particularly interesting for the use of marker assisted selection in the breeding process.

Validation of markers for breeding of climate-adapted and healthy barley plants | Umweltbundesamt