Development of Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) Lines with Altered Starch Granule Size Distribution

Microscope analysis of starches prepared from 139 barley genotypes identified a Japanese genotype, Kinai Kyoshinkai-2 (KK-2), with altered starch granule size distribution. Compared to normal barley starch, KK-2 produced consistently higher volumes of starch granules with 5-15,um diameter and reduced volumes of starch granules with >15 mu m diameter when grown in different environments. A cross between KK-2 and normal starch cultivar CDC Kendall was made and led to the production of 154 F-5 lines with alterations to the normal 7:3:1 distribution for A-:B-:C-type starch granule volumes. Three F5 lines showed unimodal starch granule size distribution due to apparent lack of very small (<5.0 mu m diameter) C-type starch granules, but the phenotype was accompanied by reduced grain weight and total starch concentration. Five F-5 lines produced a significantly larger population of large (>15 mu m diameter) A-type starch granules as compared to normal starch and showed on average a 10:4:1 distribution for A-:B-:C-type starch granule volumes. The unusual starch phenotypes displayed by the F-5 lines confirm starch granule size distribution in barley can. be genetically altered.