β-glucan is a polysaccharide compound closely related to the quality of barley used as malting, feed and food. Low β-glucan content is expected for brewing and feed barley, while high β-glucan content is desirable for food barley. The β-glucan content of barley genotypes collected from various areas of China as well as from Canada and Australia were assayed. Meanwhile a multi-locations trial was conducted to determine β-glucan content of 10 barley cultivars in 8 locations for two successive planting years. The results showed that barley genotypes from Tibet and Xinjiang had higher p-glucan content and the genotypes with higher than 8% of P-glucan content were detected in Tibet barleys, being valuable for use in the development of healthy food. Barley cultivars being planted now in winter-sowing areas of China had basically the same β-glucan content as those from Canada and Australia. Barley seeds produced in Hangzhou had lower β-glucan content than seeds from the original areas. There was a highly significant difference in β-glucan content among 10 barleys, 8 locations and between years. On an average of two years, Xiumei 3 and Kongpei 1 had the highest and lowest β-glucan content, respectively, and Taian and Hangzhou produced the highest and lowest P-glucan content barley seeds, respectively. Analysis of AMMI model showed that interaction effect between cultivar and environment was highly significant in both experimental years, and was dependent on cultivar, suggesting that it is important to plant the suitable cultivars in a particular area in order to obtain barley seeds with reasonable β-glucan content.
CHEN Jin-xin, Zhang Guo-ping, QIANG Xiao-lin, WANG Jun-mei and DING Shou-ren( Agronomy Department, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310029
The influences of N application rate, timing, sowing date and seeding rate on β-glucan and protein content in barley grains were studied through the field experiments in Hangzhou, China during 1997 -2001. Protein content increased with N application rate and with N proportion applied at late stage. β-glucan content also responded significantly to N application rate and timing, but with different pattern with protein content. Of three N rate treatments, the medium N rate (135 kg ha-1) had the highest β-glucan content, being significantly higher than low N rate (90 kg ha-1) and no difference with high N rate (180 kg ha-1). A-mong three N timing treatments, two times of N top-dressing at both tillering and booting stage had significantly higher β-glucan content than once N top-dressing at tillering or booting stage. Sowing date has the dramatic effect on both β-glucan and protein content. Protein content decreased with the delayed sowing, and kernel weight showed opposite tendency. Either earlier or later sowing caused increased β-glucan content relative to sowing in early November, which is the normal date for barley sowing locally. Seeding rate had no significant influence on both β-glucan and protein content.
ZHANG Guo-ping, WANG Jun-mei, CHEN Jin-xin, YIN Chen and DING Shou-ren(Agronomy Department, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310029 , P. R. China)
