From germplasm development to variety release : the Oregon State University food barley experience

Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) is one of the oldest known domesticated crops. Originally cultivated for human consumption, other end-uses have gained importance over the millennia. Barley is the fourth most important cereal crop in the world (FAO-STAT, 2011), and today it is mainly used as animal feed or malted for brewing and distilling, while wheat and rice have replaced it as a food product. But the food barley movement is being revived in many parts of the world (Baik and Ullrich, 2008; Bhatty 1999; Dickin et al., 2012; Grando and Gomez Macpherson, 2005), including the Pacific Northwest of the US. The Oregon State University Barley Project is currently developing novel food barley varieties with interesting colors, flavors, and nutritional qualities. Our most advanced food lines were grown in the OFOOD trial: a multi-location, multi-year trial consisting of 14 experimental lines grown under dryland, irrigated, and high rainfall conditions across the Pacific Northwest. This trial consisted of a mixture of hulled lines with waxy starch and hull-less lines with normal starch. The lines were evaluated for agronomic and food quality traits and resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses. One of the entries in the OFOOD trial is a non-waxy hull-less line called 'Streaker'. Streaker is a blend of three sister lines that has blue, white, and brown kernels, and will be released within the next year. This thesis follows food barley research at OSU from the original breeding scheme and definition of objectives, to variety trialing and quality characterization, and finally to germplasm release and product development

Selection of transformation-efficient barley genotypes based on TFA (transformation amenability) haplotype and higher resolution mapping of the TFA loci

Barley (Hordeum vulgare) cv. ‘Golden Promise’ is one of the most useful and well-studied cultivars for genetic manipulation. In a previous report, we identified several transformation amenability (TFA) loci responsible for Agrobacterium-mediated transformation using the F2 generation of immature embryos, derived from ‘Haruna Nijo’ × ‘Golden Promise,’ as explants. In this report, we describe higher density mapping of these TFA regions with additional SNP markers using the same transgenic plants. To demonstrate the robustness of transformability alleles at the TFA loci, we genotyped 202 doubled haploid progeny from the cross ‘Golden Promise’ × ‘Full Pint.’ Based on SNP genotype, we selected lines having ‘Golden Promise’ alleles at TFA loci and used them for transformation. Of the successfully transformed lines, DH120366 came the closest to achieving a level of transformation efficiency comparable to ‘Golden Promise.’ The results validate that the genetic substitution of TFA alleles from ‘Golden Promise’ can facilitate the development of transformation-efficient lines from recalcitrant barley cultivars

Growing barley in western Washington

Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) is a versatile, low-input grain which is grown as a part of diverse western Washington cropping systems. Due to the generally high rainfall and moderate temperatures in western Washington, yields of small grains such as barley can be substantially higher than those grown under dryland conditions in eastern Washington. In western Washington, small grains are beneficial as rotational crops in that they can break disease and pest cycles, be used as a transition crop during pasture renovation, and rest the soil between the more intensive cash crops such as bulbs and tubers. A local grain economy, where processors use regionally grown grains, can help farmers in western Washington market barley at a higher price. Barley is a versatile grain that can be used for animal feed, human food, and to produce malt for beer and whiskey. This publication addresses general variety selection, marketing, production, and pest management information for barley grown in western Washington

Growing winter malting barley west of the Cascades

Growing malting barley is increasingly being considered by farmers west of the Cascades to serve emerging craft brewing and distilling markets and to function as a rotation crop for horticultural crops, such as potatoes or vegetable and grass seed. Several publications provide information on growing barley generally and the prospects for a malting barley industry in the region. This publication provides a succinct resource for those preparing to grow winter malting barley