Relationships between malting quality and head type and kernel appearance in malting barley [Hordeum vulgare]

In order to make selection on the malting quality of malting barley in early generations, it was examined the possibility of evaluating the malting quality by head type and kernel appearance. Materials were F3, F4 and F6 lines that one of parents was high quality line, Nitta Nijo 1 (named to Haruna Nijo in 1979). As an inex of head type, spike density was used. And as an index of kernel appearance, volume of wrinkles on husks was used. Volume of wrinkles on husks was judged by panel test. Consequently high rank correlation coefficients between panelers (r=0.6 over) were obtained in mid generations. In eary generations those were slightly low. Calculating correlations between spike density and volume of wrinkles on husks with malting quality, positive correlations were obtained between volume of wrinkles on husks and malt extract, extract yield, examination marks, especially high for malt extract. However no relationship was found between spike density and malting quality. Somewhat high relationships were obtained between generations in spike density, volume of wrinkles on husks, malt extract and examination marks. It was estimated that high malt extract could be selected easily by judgement of volume 0L wrinkles on husks. Consequently it was expected that this method would be effective for the selecting of high malt extract lines in early-mid generations of handling much of materials.