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A Method for Rating Freezing Inhibitor Activity of Barley Genotypes Using Seed and Crown Tissue Mucilages¹

An infrared assay is described for rating activity of cell wall mucilages as inhibitors of freezing kinetics. It requires 1% of the sample needed for the flow freeze assay previously used to rate mucilages extracted from wheat seed (Triticum aestivum L.). The reduction of sample size makes it feasible to assay polymers from crown tissue in genetic and plant breeding research. This is especially important for barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) because assay of seed extracts does not reliably indicate inhibitor activity in crown tissue for this species.

Mucilages from both seed and crown tissues of eight Ethiopian barleys, Introduced into the USDA World Collection as possible sources of genetic diversity, were compared with those from a commercial barley. The introductions did produce more mucilage in their seed than did the commercial barley but did not produce effective inhibitors of freezing kinetics in their crowns.

Key Words: Winter hardiness • Cell wall mucilages • Secale cereale L. • Hordeum vulgare L.

² Plant physiologist and laboratory research technician I, respectively, AR, SEA, USDA, and Dep. of Crop and Soil Science, Michigan State Univ., East Lansing, M1 48824.

Received for publication November 29, 1979.