Combining Ability of Different Agronomic Traits and Yield Components in Hybrid Barley

Xinzhong Zhang; Liangjie Lv; Chao Lv; Baojian Guo; Rugen Xu

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0126828

Combining Ability of Different Agronomic Traits and Yield Components in Hybrid Barley

PLoS One. 2015 Jun 10;10(6):e0126828. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0126828. eCollection 2015.

Authors

Xinzhong Zhang¹, Liangjie Lv¹, Chao Lv¹, Baojian Guo¹, Rugen Xu¹

Affiliation

¹ Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Physiology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China; Co-Innovation Center for Modern Production Technology of Grain Crops, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China; Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics of the Ministry of Education, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China; Institute of Barley Research, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China.

Abstract

Selection of parents based on their combining ability is an effective approach in hybrid breeding. In this study, eight maintainer lines and nine restorer lines were used to obtain 72 crosses for analyzing the general combining ability (GCA) and special combining ability (SCA) for seven agronomic and yield characters including plant height (PH), spike length excluding awns (SL), inter-node length (IL), spikes per plant (SP), thousand kernel weight (TKW), kernel weight per plant (KWP) and dry matter weight per plant (DWP). The results showed that GCA was significantly different among parents and SCA was also significantly different among crosses. The performance of hybrid was significantly correlated with the sum of female and male GCA (TGCA), SCA and heterosis. Hu1154 A, Mian684 A, 86F098 A, 8036 R and 8041 R were excellent parents with greater general combining ability. Five crosses, Hu1154 A×8032 R, Humai10 A×8040 R, Mian684 A×8037 R, Mian684 A×8041 R and 86F098 A×8037 R, showed superior heterosis for most characters.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Hordeum / genetics*
Hybridization, Genetic*
Soil*

Substances

Soil

Grants and funding

This work was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (30971779, 31071407, 31128014), the National Barley and Highland Barley Industrial Technology Specially Constructive Foundation of China (CARS-05), the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions (PAPD), and the Scientific Research Initial Fund for New Researchers in Yangzhou University. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.