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Germination and Malting Properties of Mutants Derived from Malting Barley cv. Triumph

¹Scottish Crop Research Institute, Invergowrie, Dundee DD2 5DA, UK. ²Corresponding author. Phone: +44 (0) 1382 562731. Fax: +44 (0) 1382 562426. E-mail: jswans@scri.sari.ac.uk ³Centre UdL-IRTA, Av. Alcalde Rovira Roure 177, 25198 Lleida, Spain.

Four mutants, demonstrating a range of dormancy, were derived from the malting barley cv. Triumph. Although there were environmental effects on the rate of recovery from dormancy, relative performance of the genotypes was consistent. Recovery from water sensitivity was slower than recovery from dormancy for all genotypes, but a similar ranking of genotypes was observed with two mutants germinating more readily than the parental genotype. Exposure of the grain to the plant hormone abscisic acid (ABA) at the end of each wet phase during steeping had a highly significant effect on the malting performance of all samples. However, reduction in extract levels was significantly less in the two mutants that demonstrated more rapid recovery from dormancy. None of the mutants exceeded Triumph for hot water extract level after malting in two seasons at sites in Dundee (eastern Scotland) and Lleida (northeastern Spain). However, one mutant combined rapid recovery from dormancy with high extract levels when grown and malted under Scottish conditions and subjected to unithermal hot water extraction.