Seven proanthocyanidin-free mutants which were induced at Washington State University from USA cultivars were crossed to mutants known to be allelic at the ant13, ant17, and ant18 loci. These three loci contain a group of mutants blocking production of anthocyanins, proanthocyanidins and catechins (Jende-Strid, 1984), which can be useful in the production of barley cultivars lacking those compounds.

Half seeds of F2S from selected crosses were crushed and stained with 1% vanillin dissolved in concentrated HCl (Wettstein et al., 1979). Results of progenies tested (Table 1) showed that the mutants Ant 548, Ant 566, Ant 581, Ant 582, and Ant 587 were alleles at the ant13 locus. The mutant Ant 567 was an allele at the ant17 locus, and Ant 517 was not allelic to any of the test parents.

Results obtained in this study agree with those presented in a recent report of ant genes (Jende-Strid, 1988), with the exception of Ant 517 which in this study was found not to be allelic at the three loci tested.

The ant13 locus was found earlier (Metcalfe and Bendelow, 1981) to be linked to susceptibility to net blotch in a cross between Ant 13-13 with Norbert. This negative association may not occur in Ant 581 and Ant 582 because they were induced in a six-rowed barley which is resistant to some strains of net blotch.

References:

Jende-Strid, B. 1984. Coordinator's report: Anthocyanin genes. BGN 14:76-79.

Jende-Strid, B. 1988. Coordinator's report: Anthocyanin genes. Stock list of ant mutants kept at the Carlsberg Laboratory. BGN 18:74-79.

Metcalfe, D.R., and V.M. Bendelow. 1981. Relations between barley polyphenol content and reaction to stem rust and net blotch. Barley Genetics IV, Edinburgh pp. 484-488.

Wettstein, D. von, B. Jende-Strid, B. Ahrenst-Larsen, and K. Erdal. 1979. Proanthocyanidin-free barley prevents the formation of beer haze. MBAA Tech. Quart. 17:16-23.