Skip to main content
Log in

Genetic diversity in the wild progenitor of barley in Israel

  • Specialia
  • Published:
Experientia Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

Genetic structure of populations ofHordeum spontaneum, the wild progenitor of barley, was studied electropho-retically in proteins encoded by 28 gene loci in 1179 individuals representing 28 populations covering the entire ecological range in Israel; for comparison, the same test was conducted in 100 random seeds of Composite Cross XXI (generation 17) of cultivated barley,Hordeum vulgare. The results indicate that: a)H. spontaneum in Israel is genetically highly polymorphic, b) clinal, regional and local genetic patterns are significantly correlated with and predictable by climatic and soil variables, suggesting the operation of natural selection, and c) natural populations are on the average more variable than the tested Composite Cross generation. This genetic variation awaits testing and exploitation in breeding programs.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. J.R. Harlan, in: Crops and Man. Am. Soc. Agron., Crop Sci. Soc. of America, Madison, Wisconsin 1975.

    Google Scholar 

  2. R.W. Allard, A.L. Kahler and M.T. Clegg, in: Isozymes IV. Genetics and Evolution. Ed. C.L. Markert. Academic Press, New York 1975.

    Google Scholar 

  3. D. Zohary, Proc. 1st int. Barley Genet. Symp. Wagenigen, p. 27.

  4. J.R. Harlan and D. Zohary, Science153, 1074 (1966).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. D. Zohary, in: The domestication and exploitation of plants and animals, p. 47. Ed. P.J. Ucko and G.W. Dimbleby. Duckworth & Co., London 1969.

    Google Scholar 

  6. D. Zohary, in: Plant Life in South West Asia, p. 235. Ed. P.H. Davis. Bot. Soc. Edinburgh 1971.

  7. The genetics of the isozyme variation is based on: 1. Our data which comes in family batches and thus directly tests mendelian segregation18. 2. Direct comparisons for some loci in cultivated barley,H. vulgare (A.L. Kahler and R.W. Allard, Crop Sci.10, 444 (1970), A.L. Kahler, R.W. Allard and S. Pagliuso, in preparation; G. Almgard and U. Landegren, Z. Pfl. Zücht.72, 63 (1974); S. Hvid and G. Nielsen, Hereditas87, 155 (1977)). 3. Many of these loci are well studied genetically in other grasses, and their patterns are analogous to those of barley.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Composite Cross XXI was developed by C.A. Suneson and G.A. Wiebe, Crop Sci.2, 347 (1962).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. A.H.D. Brown, E. Nevo, D. Zohary and O. Dagan, Genetica49, 97 (1978).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. M. Nei, in: Molecular population genetics and evolution, p. 129. North-Holland Publ., Amsterdam 1975.

    Google Scholar 

  11. S. Wright, Evolution19, 395 (1965).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. M. Nei, Am. Natur.106, 283 (1972).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. E. Nevo, Theor. Pop. Biol.13, 131 (1978).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. M.T. Clegg and R.W. Allard, Proc. natl Acad. Sci. USA69, 1820 (1972).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  15. E. Nevo, D. Zohary, A.H.D. Brown and M. Haber, Evolution (June 1979).

  16. A.H.D. Brown, E. Nevo and D. Zohary, Nature268, 430 (1977).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. A.H.D. Brown, D. Zohary and E. Nevo, Heredity41, 49 (1978).

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Additional information

This research was supported by grants from the United States-Israel Binational Science Foundation (BSF) Jerusalem (Israel), the Gifrid Foundation and the Reuben and Edith Hecht Fund, University of Haifa, We thank M. Avrahami for help in field collections; Ora Dagan for laboratory assistance, Dr M. Haber for statistical assistance, Dr A.L. Kahler for seed of CC XXI, and E. Golenberg for commenting on the manuscript.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Nevo, E., Brown, A.H.D. & Zohary, D. Genetic diversity in the wild progenitor of barley in Israel. Experientia 35, 1027–1029 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01949920

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01949920

Keywords

Navigation