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Variation and Covariation in Agronomic and Malting Quality Characters in Barley I. Heritability Estimates¹

‘Atlas’, a coast-type barley that possesses desirable agronomic characteristics, was crossed with ‘Kindred’, a Manchurian-type barley characterized by superior malting quality but which shatters severely in arid climates. Fourteen agronomic and 13 malting quality traits were studied in a population of 102 random F₄ lines grown at 2 planting dates in 1962. Four of the agronomic traits were studied again in 1963.

Genotype x environment interaction variances generally were small relative to genotypic variances. Significant (5% level) genotype x planting date interactions were present for only 4 of the 27 traits evaluated in 1962 and for only 1 of the 4 traits studied in both years. Five of the 6 significant genotype interactions in the 2-year data involved year terms.

Higher estimates of heritability generally were obtained for malting quality traits than for agronomic traits, although heritability estimates for a majority of the latter were 0.7 or greater. One notable exception was yield, for which heritability was estimated to be 0.48.

Predicted selection advances indicated that it should be possible to make substantial gains in most individual characters. However, predicted advances from one cycle of selection for yield, malt extract, wort nitrogen, diastatic power, and beta amylase were less than the amounts needed to achieve preferred levels.

² Formerly Research Assistant (now Assistant Professor, Department of Plant Breeding, Cornell University); Professor of Agronomy, University of California; Chemist, Crops Research Division, Barley and Malt Laboratory, Madison, Wisconsin; and Assistant Agronomist, University of California.

Received for publication December 9, 1965.