Metabolomic Spectra For Phenotypic Prediction of Malting Quality In Spring Barley

The objectives were to investigate prediction of malting quality (MQ) phenotypes in different locations using information from metabolomic spectra, and compare the prediction ability using different models and different sizes of training population (TP). A total of 2,667 plots of 564 malting spring barley lines from three years and two locations were included. Five MQ traits were measured in wort produced from each individual plot. Metabolomic features (MFs) used were 24,018 NMR intensities measured on each wort sample. Models involved in the statistical analyses were a metabolomic best linear unbiased prediction (MBLUP) model and a partial least squares regression (PLSR) model. Predictive ability within location and across locations were compared using cross-validation methods. The proportion of variance in MQ traits that could be explained by effects of MFs was above 0.9 for all traits. The prediction accuracy increased with increasing TP size but when the TP size reached 1,000, the rate of increase was negligible. The number of components considered in the PLSR models can affect the performance of PLSR models and 20 components were optimal. The accuracy of individual plots and line means using leave-one-line-out cross-validation ranged from 0.722 to 0.865 and using leave-one-location-out cross-validation ranged from 0.517 to 0.817.In conclusion, it is possible to carry out metabolomic prediction of MQ traits using MFs, the prediction accuracy is high and MBLUP is better than PLSR if the training population is larger than 100. The results have significant implications for practical barley breeding for malting quality.

Genetic variation among selected pure lines from Turkish barley landrace ‘Tokak’ in yield-related and malting quality traits

Aim of study: Improvement of barley cultivars for malting traits suffers from narrow genetic pool in barley for these traits. Landraces are resources that could be used for this purpose. The present study was conducted to determine the variation for malting quality traits within a Turkish barley landrace. Area of study: The study was undertaken in Tokat, a province in Black Sea Region of Turkey. Material and methods: Twenty-five diverse lines, out of 42 unique genotypes previously identified in ‘Tokak’ landrace (PI 470281) based on DNA markers, were evaluated for malting quality traits along with the malting barley cv. ‘Tokak 157/37’ in four field trials. Thousand-seed weight, test weight, grain yield, lodging, malt extract percentage, diastatic power, alpha amylase and malt beta glucanase activities, malt protein and starch contents were determined. Main results: Principal component analysis of malting quality traits revealed that thousand-seed weight, alpha amylase activity, beta glucanase activity and diastatic power were the most discriminatory traits for the lines. As the average of four trials, 15 of the 25 lines evaluated had higher grain yields and 10 of 25 lines had higher malt extract percentages than the standard cultivar ‘Tokak 157/37’. Malt extract was highest in Line 59 in all environments, and this line also had the highest values for beta glucanase activity and starch content. Line 215 had highest values for alpha amylase activity. Lines 59 and 215 clearly had superior malting quality. Research highlights: These lines could harbor novel alleles for these traits to be used in malting barley improvement.

Partitioning and Translocation of Dry Matter and Nitrogen During Grain Filling in Spring Barley Varieties and Their Roles in Determining Malting Quality

To meet the strict requirements for the malting quality of both grain size and protein content for malting barley, a better understanding of the partitioning and remobilization of dry matter (DM) and nitrogen (N) from individual vegetative organs during grain filling may contribute to adjusting a balance in both quality parameters to satisfy the malting criteria of the brewing industry. A 2-year experiment that included 23 spring malting barley varieties was carried out to determine the DM and N partitioning in different organs at anthesis and maturity and to estimate their remobilization to grains. In contrast to the genetic variation of the 23 barley varieties, year effect was the most important single factor influencing the DM and N accumulation at pre-anthesis, and the DM and N translocation from their reserves at pre-anthesis. Post-anthesis assimilates accounted for 71–94% of the total grain yield among the barley varieties in 2014 and 53–81% in 2015. In contrast, the N reserved in vegetative tissues at anthesis contributed to barley grain N from 67% in the variety Union to 91% in the variety Marthe in 2014, and 71% in the variety Grace to 97% in the variety Shakira in 2015. The results concluded that photosynthetically derived assimilates at post-anthesis played an important role in determining grain size, whereas N reserves at pre-anthesis and N remobilization at post-anthesis probably determined the grain protein content of the malting barley. To achieve a high quality of malting barley grains in both grain size and protein content simultaneously, balancing photosynthetic assimilates at post-anthesis and N reserves at pre-anthesis and N remobilization should be considered as strategies for the combination of the selection of spring malting barley varieties together with agronomic N management.

Transcriptome Alterations of an in vitro-Selected, Moderately Resistant, Two-Row Malting Barley in Response to 3ADON, 15ADON, and NIV Chemotypes of Fusarium graminearum

Fusarium head blight caused by Fusarium graminearum is a devastating disease of malting barley. Mycotoxins associated with contaminated grain can be transferred from malt to beer and pose a health risk to consumers. In western Canada, F. graminearum has undergone an adaptive shift from 15ADON constituency to dominance by virulent 3ADON-producers; likewise, NIV-producers have established in regions of southern United States. Lack of adapted resistance sources with adequate malting quality has promoted the use of alternative breeding methodologies, such as in vitro selection. We studied the low-deoxynivalenol characteristic of in vitro selected, two-row malting barley variety “Norman” by RNAseq in contrast to its parental line “CDC Kendall,” when infected by 15ADON-, 3ADON-, and NIV-producing isolates of F. graminearum. The current study documents higher mycotoxin accumulation by 3ADON isolates, thereby representing increased threat to barley production. At 72–96-h post infection, significant alterations in transcription patterns were observed in both varieties with pronounced upregulation of the phenylpropanoid pathway and detoxification gene categories (UGT, GST, CyP450, and ABC), particularly in 3ADON treatment. Defense response was multitiered, where differential expression in “Norman” associated with antimicrobial peptides (thionin 2.1, defensing, non-specific lipid-transfer protein) and stress-related proteins, such as late embryogenesis abundant proteins, heat-shock, desiccation related, and a peroxidase (HvPrx5). Several gene targets identified in “Norman” would be useful for application of breeding varieties with reduced deoxynivalenol content.

Barley varieties registered in the Czech Republic after the harvest of 2020

The study presents malting quality and agronomic characteristics obtained during testing of barley varieties in the Czech Republic. After the harvest of 2020, the following spring barley malting varieties were registered: Amidala, Focus, Greenway, KWS Jessie, LG Belcanto, and LG Stamgast. LG Stamgast was recommended for production of the beer with the protected geographical indication České pivo. In addition, the non-malting spring barley variety RGT Gagarin was registered. Amidala, Focus, Greenway, KWS Jessie, LG Belcanto provided malt with the extract content over 83%. These varieties also easily degraded nitrogenous substances. The value of the Kolbach index ranged from 48.6 to 52.1%. Diastatic power was at the optimal level. Degradation of cell walls was also optimal. Friability moved from 89 to 97% and β-glucan content in wort achieved satisfactory values of 65 – 170 mg/l in the given varieties . Wort quality, which is characterized by final attenuation, was at the above average to optimal level of 80.9 – 83.2% in these varieties of spring barley. LG Stamgast showed lower values of proteolytic and cytolytic modification and lower values of final attenuation, which is required for the varieties recommended for the production of the beer with the protected geographical indication České pivo.

Barley varieties registered in the Slovak Republic after the harvest of 2020

The study presents results of malting quality and agronomic characteristics of the LG Verdi, LG Tosca, and Spitfire spring barley varieties that were obtained during a three-year period of testing within the state varietal trials in the Slovak Republic. Extract from the varieties was at the level from 82.9 to 84.1%. The varieties exhibited optimal and high levels of proteolytic modification (47.4 to 52.0%) and satisfactory to optimal levels of final attenuation (80.8 to 81.8%). Degradation of cell walls was high – between 86 and 96%. Beta-glucan content was at a satisfactory to optimal level of 67 to 158 mg/l. In addition, the study presents results which the Suez winter barley variety achieved in a two-year period of state varietal trials. The variety exhibited satisfactory quality of the extract level, optimal level of proteolytic modification and optimal wort composition. This variety had a slow degradation of cell walls, but its beta-glucan content was at the satisfactory level.