Genetic Markers in Laboratory Variety Control of Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.)

The polymorphism of hordeins controlled by the Hrd A , Hrd B , and Hrd F loci in 259 varieties of spring barley approved for use in the Russian Federation was studied by electrophoresis in starch gel. For locus Hrd A , 21 alleles were identified; for locus Hrd B , 34 alleles; and for locus Hrd F , 4 alleles. The allele frequencies of these loci varied in the range of 0.4807–0.0039 ( Hrd A ), 0.2394–0.0039 ( Hrd B ), and 0.4633–0.0058 ( Hrd F ). The polymorphism found at the Hrd loсus theoretically allows differentiating 2856 genotypes. The studied varieties by genotypes of hordein-coding loci were distributed in 113 groups including from 1 to 31 varieties. The largest number of groups (77–68.15%) included one variety. These varieties were unique in terms of Hrd locus genotypes. Another 18 groups (15.94%) included two varieties each with identical electrophoregrams of hordein. Groups including 27 and 31 varieties with the same genetic formulas of hordein were found. The use of additional genetic markers—SSR markers and water-soluble grain proteins for differentiation and identification of barley varieties that are identical in hordeins—is discussed. The results of using electrophoretic analysis of hordein in laboratory varietal control of malting barley from 2005 to 2019 are presented. The trend of increasing lots with high varietal purity (more than 95%) from 27% in 2005 to 62–65% in 2016–2019 is shown. At the same time, over the past 5 years, the share of batches of malting barley that do not correspond to the declared varieties has decreased from 14.7% in 2015 to 4.2–4.6% in 2018 and 2019 respectively.