Monosomic and double monosomic substitutions of Hordeum bulbosum L. chromosomes into H. vulgare L.

One of the aims of the interspecific crossing programme between Hordeum vulgare L. and H. bulbosum L. has been to introgress desirable genes into barley from the wild species. However, despite their close taxonomic relationship there have been few reports of achieving this objective using amphidiploid hybrids. In order to broaden the range of available hybrids, partially fertile triploids between H. vulgare (2n = 2x = 14) and H. bulbosum (2n = 4x = 28) were developed and crossed with H. vulgare as female parent. From 580 progeny which were screened, eight putative single monosomic chromosome substitution lines and one double monosomic substitution were identified by cytological analysis. These involved the substitution of H. vulgare chromosome 1 (two lines), 6 (four lines), 6L (one line), 7 (one line) and 1 + 4 (one line) by their respective H. bulbosum homoeologues. The H. bulbosum chromosome was frequently eliminated during plant development, but it was observed regularly in pollen mother cells of two lines. However, pairing between the H. bulbosum chromosome and its H. vulgare homoeologue was low. Several of the lines were more resistant than their H. vulgare parents to powdery mildew (Erysiphe graminis DC. f.sp. hordei Em. Marchai), net blotch (Drechslera teres Sacc.) and scald (Rhynchosporium secalis (Oudem.) Davis). Apart from their use in studying genome relationships, their value to plant breeders will depend on the ease of inducing translocations between the parental chromosomes.