Selection for Low Protein in Barley¹

Four populations were studied to determine effectiveness of selection for low grain protein content in spring barley, Hordeum vulgare L. From 46 to 60 unreplicated F 5 lines were grown for each of the four populations at Crookston, MN in 1980. Selection blocks based on check cultivars were used to aid selection of 20% of the lines for low grain protein and 10% of the lines for high grain protein. The selected lines were grown in replicated trials at St. Paul and Crookston, MN in 1981. Realized heritabilities for grain protein content for the four populations ranged from 18 to 100% with a mean of 54%. Grain protein content was independent of grain yield, whereas protein content showed a variable relationship in the four populations with percent plump kernels. These findings encourage selection for grain protein content in early generation barley populations using one row plots.