Use of GWAS analysis in deciphering the inability of barley seeds to germinate after hypoxia

Abstract

The important crop species barley, Hordeum vulgare, is prone to flooding stress and has difficulties germinating under hypoxic conditions. Gómez-Aálvarez et al. (2023) investigated a large collection of barley cultivars and their ability to germinate after short-term submergence stress followed by recovery. In a simple experimental setup that tested precisely the germination ability of barley grains, and a complex post-analysis, they have concluded, among many other matters, that inability to germinate is largely due to a state of secondary dormancy activated under submergence. The dormancy is probably driven by a more lignified seed coat, a trait that takes place during grain development. The genome-wide association analysis (GWAS) was the key to find out the trait responsible for the submergence stress tolerance and recovery in barley grain.