“…Tibetan weedy barley may have made more genetic contribution than Near East barleys to Chinese barleys 6,7 . However, many studies suggested that H. agriocrithon may have originated from natural hybridization between H. spontaneum and six-rowed domesticated barley 9–11 . Thus the existence of Tibetan wild barley 12 provided only weak support to the hypothesis of Tibet representing one of the centers of barley origin or domestication.Fig.…”
Tibetan barley (Hordeum vulgare L., qingke) is the principal cereal cultivated on the Tibetan Plateau for at least 3,500 years, but its origin and domestication remain unclear. Here, based on deep-coverage whole-genome and published exome-capture resequencing data for a total of 437 accessions, we show that contemporary qingke is derived from eastern domesticated barley and it is introduced to southern Tibet most likely via north Pakistan, India, and Nepal between 4,500 and 3,500 years ago. The low genetic diversity of qingke suggests Tibet can be excluded as a center of origin or domestication for barley. The rapid decrease in genetic diversity from eastern domesticated barley to qingke can be explained by a founder effect from 4,500 to 2,000 years ago. The haplotypes of the five key domestication genes of barley support a feral or hybridization origin for Tibetan weedy barley and reject the hypothesis of native Tibetan wild barley.
“…Tibetan weedy barley may have made more genetic contribution than Near East barleys to Chinese barleys 6,7 . However, many studies suggested that H. agriocrithon may have originated from natural hybridization between H. spontaneum and six-rowed domesticated barley 9–11 . Thus the existence of Tibetan wild barley 12 provided only weak support to the hypothesis of Tibet representing one of the centers of barley origin or domestication.Fig.…”
Tibetan barley (Hordeum vulgare L., qingke) is the principal cereal cultivated on the Tibetan Plateau for at least 3,500 years, but its origin and domestication remain unclear. Here, based on deep-coverage whole-genome and published exome-capture resequencing data for a total of 437 accessions, we show that contemporary qingke is derived from eastern domesticated barley and it is introduced to southern Tibet most likely via north Pakistan, India, and Nepal between 4,500 and 3,500 years ago. The low genetic diversity of qingke suggests Tibet can be excluded as a center of origin or domestication for barley. The rapid decrease in genetic diversity from eastern domesticated barley to qingke can be explained by a founder effect from 4,500 to 2,000 years ago. The haplotypes of the five key domestication genes of barley support a feral or hybridization origin for Tibetan weedy barley and reject the hypothesis of native Tibetan wild barley.
“…In the East Asiatic area, the Himalaya is another important center of diversity for barley, and the region is home to several wild and cultivated varieties of the crop. Among the former, it is necessary to cite Hordeum agriocrithon Åberg, a wild species discovered by Åberg in 1938 known because of its resistance to abiotic and abiotic stress [ 41 ]. Among cultivated varieties in Central Asia, noteworthy mentions include the Tibetan, Nepalese, Ladakhi, Bhutanese, Kinnauri, Kumaoni, and Sikkim barley [ 42 , 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 ].…”
Barley is a very important crop particularly in marginal dry areas, where it often serves as the most viable option for farmers. Additionally, barley carries great significance in the Western world, serving not only as a fundamental crop for animal feed and malting but also as a nutritious food source. The broad adaptability of barley and its ability to withstand various biotic and abiotic stresses often make this species the sole cereal that can be cultivated in arid regions. The collection and utilization of barley genetic resources are crucial for identifying valuable traits to enhance productivity and mitigate the adverse effects of climate change. This review aims to provide an overview of the management and exploitation of barley genetic resources. Furthermore, the review explores the relationship between gene banks and participatory breeding, offering insights into the diversity and utilization of barley genetic resources through some examples such as the initiatives undertaken by ICARDA. Finally, this contribution highlights the importance of these resources for boosting barley productivity, addressing climate change impacts, and meeting the growing food demands in a rapidly changing agriculture. The understanding and utilizing the rich genetic diversity of barley can contribute to sustainable agriculture and ensure the success of this vital crop for future generations globally.
“…Tibetan wild barley does not exist as a wild population in the Qinghai Tibet Plateau but occurs as a weed at the edges of fields in the region [9][10][11]. Meanwhile, a large number of studies suggested that H. agriocrithon has a highly heterogeneous genetic structure, and originated from six-rowed barley landraces [11,12,[15][16][17][18]. Thus, the existence of Tibetan wild barley only provided weak evidence for the hypothesis that Tibet was one of the centers of barley origin or domestication.…”
The domestication process of cultivated barley in China remains under debate because of the controversial origins of barley. Here, we analyzed transcriptomic and non-targeted metabolic data from 29 accessions together with public resequencing data from 124 accessions to explore the domestication process of cultivated barley in China (Cb-C). These analyses revealed that both Cb-C and Tibetan wild barley (Wb-T) were the descendants of wild barley from the Near East Fertile Crescent (Wb-NE), yielding little support for a local origin of Wb-T. Wb-T was more likely an intermediate in the domestication process from Wb-NE to Cb-C. Wb-T contributed more genetically to Cb-C than Wb-NE, and was domesticated into Cb-C about 3300 years ago. These results together seem to support that Wb-T may be a feralized or hybrid form of cultivated barley from the Near East Fertile Crescent or central Asia. Additionally, the metabolite analysis revealed divergent metabolites of alkaloids and phenylpropanoids and these metabolites were specifically targeted for selection in the evolutionary stages from Wb-NE to Wb-T and from Wb-T to Cb-C. The key missense SNPs in the genes HORVU6Hr1G027650 and HORVU4Hr1G072150 might be responsible for the divergence of metabolites of alkaloids and phenylpropanoids during domestication. Our findings allow for a better understanding of the domestication process of cultivated barley in China.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
