Characterisation of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) varieties and breeding lines using RAPD and QTL associated PCR markers

Random decamer primers were screened for their ability to produce polymorphic bands in a set of barley breeding materials. Twelve primers out of forty tested and two primer combinations produced stable polymorphic signals. Polymorphic data were used for diversity studies. Cluster analysis showed rather high relatedness among characterized genotypes, which confirmed limited genetic basis of the Czech malting barley germplasm. RAPD polymorphic markers found during the investigation provided an addition to classical morphological markers for germplasm identification and for estimation of genetic similarities among genotypes. Amplicon specific QTL associated PCR markers developed for American germplasm evaluation were tested for their ability to differentiate cultivars used for barley breeding in the Czech Republic. They discriminate among 24 mostly malting barley cultivars and lines. Maximum variability was found in Amy1 and Hor2 loci with diversity index value over 0.6. The markers identifying the two loci could be suitable candidates for marker-assisted selection for breeding programmes, in which European malting barley cultivars and lines are used.