Plant Genome III Conference Plant Genome III Conference
Several "mapping populations" of barley have been or are being mapped using RFLP- and RAPD markers. Two maps have been constructed on the basis of crosses between the winter barley variety 'Vogelsanger Gold' and the spring varieties 'Alf' and 'Tystofte Prentice', both containing about 80 markers. The latter cross was used for identification of QTLs for straw characters, earliness, yield components and N- and P content. The v locus on chromosome 2 determining the two-row/six-row character was found to have a large effect on a range of characters, some probably pleiotropic.
Three new crosses including two winter barley populations and one spring barley population are currently being analysed to identify markers linked to agromic traits. Two of these populations are Danish, one is Finnish. Maps will be constructed by selecting a number of RFLP markers from each barley chromosome based on published maps and then filling in the gaps with RAPDS. RAPDs that link to important characters will be converted to SCARS.
In Sweden, molecular markers will be used in backcross selection with special reference to the introduction of disease resistance from H. spontaneum. Bulk segregant analysis will be used to identify markers that link to specific genes of interest.
Studies of barley phylogeny and genetic variation between different barley varieties are undertaken in Norway. Cytogenetics using in situ hybridization is carried out in Denmark and Iceland to detect relationships among related species and map genome specific DNA sequences, as well as studying the relationship between linkage distances and chromosome. morphology.
All Nordic countries participate in a common program aimed at co- ordinating research on barley genetics.