Rare Barley Mutation with Potential
Published:30 Aug.2021 Source:University of Bonn
The importance of the root system for agricultural yields is often underestimated. Whether roots can access water and nutrients effectively also determines the resilience of important crops to drought and climate change. Researchers from the Universities of Bonn and Bologna (Italy) have discovered and described a mutant in barley: Its roots grow downwards much more sharply than usual. This discovery potentially provides a starting point for breeding more drought-resistant varieties. The study has now been published in PNAS.
Barley is one of the most important cereals. Its uses range from brewing beer to groats, pearl barley, barley flakes and barley flour. Researchers led by Prof. Dr. Silvio Salvi of the University of Bologna discovered an unusual mutant of barley some time ago: Its roots do not spread sideways as they normally do, but grow straight down. The researchers termed this mutant "hypergravitropic," meaning that it follows gravity much more strongly than its conspecifics. The teams led by Prof. Dr. Frank Hochholdinger from the Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation (INRES) at the University of Bonn and Prof. Salvi, together with other colleagues, investigated the underlying causes.