Field performance of lines derived from haploid and diploid tissues of Hordeum vulgare

Plant tissue culture technology is of increasing interest to plant breeders. As part of a continuing investigation into breeding methods with spring barley two studies were conducted to assess the field performance of the progenies of material regenerated in tissue culture. The first study involved two spring barley cultivars, 'Golden Promise' and 'Mazurka' and compared lines produced from immature embryo (IE) derived callus with those from embryos developed by the Hordeum bulbosum (Hb) technique of chromosome elimination. In general the mean values for the seven characters scored were lower for the IE than the Hb material. In the second study F1 hybrid material ('Golden Promise'x'Mazurka') was used and doubled haploid lines produced by the H. bulbosum and microspore culture (M) techniques were compared with single seed descent (SSD) material. Analysis of these F∝ samples indicated that the mean values for the M lines were significantly lower than those of the Hb and SSD lines. Furthermore, data from the M lines showed significant evidence of variation created during the culture phase. The implications of these findings for barley breeding are discussed.