Scientists crack the secrets of the barley genome

New research which has unravelled the barley genome could help produce better varieties of the crop – a vital part of the beer and whisky industries.

Scientists said the breakthrough is a critical step towards developing barley varieties able to cope with the demands of climate change.

It should also help in the fight against cereal crop diseases which cause millions of pounds of losses annually.

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Researchers said barley is the second most important crop in UK agriculture, and malting barley, some 30 per cent of the total, underpins the beer and whisky sector which is worth around £20bn to the UK economy.

The UK team behind the international research was led by Professor Robbie Waugh, of Scotland’s James Hutton Institute, who worked with researchers at the Genome Analysis Centre in Norwich.

He said: “Access to the assembled catalogue of gene sequences will streamline efforts to improve barley production through breeding for varieties better able to withstand pests and disease, and deal with adverse environmental conditions such as drought and heat stress.

“It will accelerate research in barley, and its close relative, wheat. Armed with this information, breeders and scientists will be much better placed to deal with the challenge of effectively addressing the food security agenda under the constraints of a rapidly changing environment.”

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