Genetic analysis of spike traits in two- and multi-rowed barley crosses

Mode of inheritance and genetic variance components for spike length, grain number per spike and grain weight per spike were evaluated in four parental genotypes and their F1 and F2 hybrids obtained through incomplete diallel crossing. Multi-rowed barley genotypes HVW-247 and Partizan and two-rowed barley genotypes KG-15 and NS-293 were selected for the crossing based on the trait concept with the parents being divergent for spike length, grain number per spike and grain weight per spike. The average values for spike length in F1 and F2 generations were intermediate or close to those of the parent having longer spikes, with the mode of inheritance being partial dominance, dominance or overdominance, depending on the crossing combination. The six-rowed x six-rowed and two-rowed x two-rowed crossing combinations showed dominance of increased grain number per spike and increased grain weight per spike in the inheritance of grain number per spike and grain weight per spike, respectively, whereas the six-rowed x two-rowed cross was predominated by partial dominance. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. 031092: A study of the genetic basis of yield and quality improvements in cereals under different agro-environmental conditions]