Investigating novel quantitative genetics approaches in barley genetics

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To meet human demands, grain production must increase. Barley is a key crop for Canadian agriculture. The goals of this collaborative project between Cerela, the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, and the University of Guelph are three-fold. First, we will develop new barley germplasm by crossing newly identified disease resistant and high yielding barley lines with established cultivars and selecting the best lines from 1000s of progeny. Second, we will evaluate the long-term impacts of breeding, climate change, and management on barley yields. Finally, we will develop estimates of barley cultivars' performance using DNA information and advanced statistical methodologies and identify key genes that contribute to important traits. This work has economic, environmental and social impacts. The work will generate improved barley germplasm, estimate how genetic and environmental changes have affected this crop over time, and develop methods to accelerate breeding progress.