Relationship between quality parameters and SKCS hardness index in malting barley

Abstract

To make an efficient and laborsaving quality selection in a malting barley breeding program, the relationship between malting quality parameters and the hardness index (HI) measured by Single Kernel Characterization System (SKCS) 4100 was studied with barley genetic resources and a group of descendant lines from "Yon Rkei 1363" that possess the high lysine allele lys1 and a very high diastatic power (DP). There was a highly significant correlation between the grain HI and the malt extract both in the genetic resources (r = -0.48**) and in the lys1 parent-derived lines (r = -0.50**). Malt HI showed a highly significant correlation with malt extract (r = -0.70** in genetic resources, r = -0.57** in the lys1 parent-derived lines) and malt total protein (r = 0.73**, 0.84**, respectively). For the selection of very high DP lines from the lys1 parent-derived group, high grain HI selection was effective as all the very high DP lines had much harder grain characteristics. Therefore SKCS was regarded as a useful tool for quality selection in malting barley breeding. © 2009 The Institute of Brewing & Distilling.