Barley Genome Analysis May Lead to Higher Yields

19 October 2012

Barley is among the world’s top food grains

An international scientific team is mapping the genetic code that makes barley the grain that it is. The work could lead agricultural researchers to higher barley crop yields, greater nutritional value and better pest and disease resistance.

Scientists from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and 19 other research organizations from around the world published the work in the journal Nature October 17, the day after World Food Day, an annual event spotlighting the need to develop better crops and technologies to meet the food needs of a growing population.

“This important step toward full barley genome sequencing offers enormous potential for global food security,” said Catherine Woteki, USDA’s chief scientist and under secretary for research, education and economics. “Using the tools of genetics and genomics, we are keeping farmers profitable and our food supply safe and abundant.”

Agricultural science has made significant progress in recent years, using genomics to map food crops such as tomato and corn. But barley was a greater challenge from the outset. The barley genome is much larger than that of humans, so revealing the order and structure of the plant’s 32,000 genes was a huge undertaking.

The International Barley Genome Sequencing Consortium developed innovative strategies to approach the task, and delivered an assembled genome that places the majority of the barley genes in order. Now scientists will be able to use that guide to find genetic pathways to make barley crops yield more and to strengthen the plant’s natural defenses from disease.

The findings are described in a press release from USDA that says the barley genome map and the genomic study of other food crops are assets for scientists to meet the needs of the future.

“USDA supports innovative genomics research that is really moving us forward to meeting the many challenges we face in food, fuel and agriculture production," Woteki said.