GrainGenes

II.8. Leaf pubescence in barley.

George Fedak. Research Branch, Canada Department of Agriculture, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

We have found two sources of leaf pubescence in barley. The pubescence from H. bulbosum was incorporated through hybridization into a Champlain background by S. Symko of this station. Several strains of H. spontaneum from a Middle East collection were also characterized by pubescent leaves. The density of pubescence varied with the strain so in our studies we chose the one with the highest apparent density of pubescence. The pubescence occurs on both upper and lower leaf surfaces in approximately equal density. Two types of pubescent strains were found in the Middle East collection; those with and without pubescent sheaths so that pubescence on this structure appears to be independent of that on the leaf blades.

The two sources of pubescent leaves have been intercrossed, crossed to glabrous-leaf strains and F1 have been test-crossed. In the small number of segregates observed thus far pubescence appears to be dominant but F2 progeny show considerable variation in density suggesting that inheritance could be complex. Additional F2-F3 and test-cross progeny will be examined in an effort to determine the precise nature of inheritance. Even though leaf pubescence on barleys examined thus far has been too sparse to give adequate cereal leaf beetle resistance if the two sources of pubescence turn out to be genetically different perhaps a combination of the two loci will increase the density of pubescence to make it effective.

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