Advances in Genomics-Based Breeding of Barley: Molecular Tools and Genomic Databases

Abstract

Barley is the fourth most important cereal crop and has been domesticated and cultivated for more than 10,000 years. Breeding climate-smart and stress-tolerant cultivars is considered the most suitable way to accelerate barley improvement. However, the conventional breeding framework needs to be changed to facilitate genomics-based breeding of barley. The continuous progress in genomics has opened up new avenues and tools that are promising for making barley breeding more precise and efficient. For instance, reference genome assemblies in combination with germplasm sequencing to delineate breeding have led to the development of more efficient barley cultivars. Genetic analysis, such as QTL mapping and GWAS studies using sequencing approaches, have led to the identification of molecular markers, genomic regions and novel genes associated with the agronomic traits of barley. Furthermore, SNP marker technologies and haplotype-based GWAS have become the most applied methods for supporting molecular breeding in barley. The genetic information is also used for high-efficiency gene editing by means of CRISPR-Cas9 technology, the best example of which is the cv. Golden Promise. In this review, we summarize the genomic databases that have been developed for barley and explain how the genetic resources of the reference genome, the available state-of-the-art bioinformatics tools, and the most recent assembly of a barley pan-genome will boost the genomics-based breeding for barley improvement.

Identifying Plant Genes Shaping Microbiota Composition in the Barley Rhizosphere

“…However, investigations conducted in maize indicate that plant disease resistance is not a reliable predictor of the composition of the phyllosphere microbiota 74 (i.e., the microbial communities populating above-ground plant tissues), suggesting that host the activity of individual genetic determinants of the microbiota may be fine-tuned by plant organ-specific mechanisms 75 . Recent innovations in barley genetics [76][77][78][79] will facilitate the development of refined genetic material required to probe these scenarios experimentally.…”

Sources of Resistance to Powdery Mildew in Wild Barley (Hordeum vulgare subsp. spontaneum) Collected in Jordan, Lebanon, and Libya

“…In addition, modern molecular methods have to be used for the further characterization of resistance genes identified to be efficiently used in barley breeding [3,86,[92][93][94].…”

Conventional and Omics Approaches for Understanding the Abiotic Stress Response in Cereal Crops—An Updated Overview

“…Molecular markers are used for phylogeny and evolution studies, analysis of exotic germplasm diversity, cultivar genotyping, biotic and abiotic stress resistance, etc. [ 130 ]. A large number of molecular markers, such as SSRs (simple sequence repeats) and SNPs (single-nucleotide polymorphisms), have provided new strategies for germplasm characterization and genetic improvement, including breeding for resistance to abiotic stresses [ 131 ].…”