Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Genetic diversity of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) landraces from the central highlands of Ethiopia: comparison between the Belg and Meher growing seasons using morphological traits

  • Research Article
  • Published:
Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In Ethiopia, barley is generally grown in two different planting seasons per year: during the long rainy season (Meher) and the short rainy season (Belg). The aim of the present study was to assess for the first time the role of this ‘two-season system’ on the structure of the genetic diversity of the Ethiopian barley landraces. We characterised 3,170 individual genotypes from 106 landrace populations using eight morphological spike traits. The diversity within population was higher in the season where barley is more important (Belg), and in general, where its cultivation is in larger plots because of weaker ‘competition’ with others crops. This indicates that barley diversity has a complex relationship with variations in the surrounding agro-ecosystem. Overall, the divergence between the two seasons was quite small (3.4%), suggesting that seed flow does not occur independently across the years within the two seasons. This would affect the amount of mutations and historic recombination that have accumulated within these populations.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Alemayehu F (1995) Genetic variation between and within Ethiopian barley landraces with emphasis on durable resistance. PhD Thesis, Landbouw Universiteit Wageningen, Holland

  • Asfaw Z (1988) Variation in the morphology of the spike within Ethiopian barley Hordeum vulgare L. Acta Agric Scand 38:277–288

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Asfaw Z (1989a) Relationships between spike morphology, hordeins and altitude within Ethiopian barley. Hereditas 110:203–209. doi:10.1111/j.1601-5223.1989.tb00782.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Asfaw Z (1989b) Variation in hordein polypeptide pattern within Ethiopian barley, Hordeum vulgare L. (Poaceae). Hereditas 110:185–191. doi:10.1111/j.1601-5223.1989.tb00779.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Asfaw Z (1990) An ethnobotanical study of barley in the central highlands of Ethiopia. Biol Zent Bl 109:51–62

    Google Scholar 

  • Asfaw Z (1996) Barley in Ethiopia: the link between botany and tradition. In: Gebre H, van Leur J (eds) Barley research in Ethiopia: past work and future prospects. Proceedings of the first barley research review workshop, 16–19 October 1993. Addis Ababa. IAR/ICARDA

  • Attene G, Ceccarelli S, Papa R (1996) The barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) of Sardinia, Italy. Genet Resour Crop Evol 43:385–393

    Google Scholar 

  • Azhaguvel P, Komatsuda T (2007) A phylogenetic analysis based on nucleotide sequence of a marker linked to the Brittle Rachis Locus indicates a diphyletic origin of barley. Ann Bot (Lond) 100:1009–1015. doi:10.1093/aob/mcm129

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Badr A, Müller K, Schäfer-Pregl R, El Rabey H, Effgen S, Ibrahim HH, Pozzi C, Rohde W, Salamini F (2000) On the origin and domestication history of barley (Hordeum vulgare). Mol Biol Evol 17:499–510

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bekele E (1983a) Some measures of gene diversity analysis on landrace populations of Ethiopian barley. Hereditas 102:139–150

    Google Scholar 

  • Bekele E (1983b) A differential rate of regional distribution of barley flavonoid patterns in Ethiopia, and a view on the center of origin of barley. Hereditas 98:269–280. doi:10.1111/j.1601-5223.1983.tb00605.x

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bekele B, Alemayehu F, Berhane L (2005) Food barley in Ethiopia. In: Grando S, Gomez Macpherson H (eds) Food barley: importance, uses, and local knowledge. Proceedings of the international workshop on food barley improvement, 14–17 January 2002, Hammamet, Tunisia. ICARDA, Aleppo

  • Berhane L, Yitbarek S, Alemayehu F, Gebre H, Grando S, Van Leur JAG, Ceccarelli S (1997) Exploiting and diversity of barley landraces in Ethiopia. Genet Resour Crop Evol 44:109–116. doi:10.1023/A:1008644901982

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bioversity International barley descriptors (1994) Descriptor for barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). International Plant Genetic Resources Institute, Rome

    Google Scholar 

  • Blattner FR, Badani Méndez AG (2001) RAPD data do not support a second centre of barley domestication in Morocco. Genet Resour Crop Evol 48:13–19. doi:10.1023/A:1011299021969

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brandt SA (1984) New perspectives on the origin of food production in Ethiopia. In: Desmond Clark J, Brandt SA (eds) From hunters to farmers. UCLA, Berkeley, pp 173–190

    Google Scholar 

  • Ceccarelli S, Grando S (2000) Barley landraces from the fertile crescent: a lesson for plant breeders. In: Brush SB (ed) Genes in the field: on-farm conservation of crop diversity. Lewis Publisher, Boca Raton

    Google Scholar 

  • Demissie A, Bjørnstad A (1996) Phenotypic diversity of Ethiopian barley in relation to geographical regions, altitudinal range, and agro-ecological zones as an aid to germplasm collection and conservation strategy. Hereditas 124:17–29. doi:10.1111/j.1601-5223.1996.00017.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Demissie A, Bjørnstad A (1997) Geographical, altitude and agro-ecological differentiation of isozyme and hordein genotypes of landrace barleys from Ethiopia: implications to germplasm conservation. Genet Resour Crop Evol 44:43–55. doi:10.1023/A:1008686009866

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Engels JMM (1994) Genetic diversity in Ethiopia in relation to altitude. Genet Resour Crop Evol 41:67–73. doi:10.1007/BF00053050

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Excoffier L, Laval G, Schneider S (2006) Arlequin ver. 3.01: an integrated software package for population genetics data analysis. University of Berne, Berne

    Google Scholar 

  • FAO/WFP (2008) Crop and Food Security Assessment Mission (CFSAM) to Ethiopia (Phase 1)

  • Gamst FC (1969) The Qemant: a pagan hebraic peasantry of Ethiopia. Holt, Rinehart and Winston, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Gebre H, Alemayehu F (1991) Indigenous barley germplasm in Ethiopian barley breeding program. In: Engels JMM, Hawkes JG, Worede M (eds) Plant genetic resources of Ethiopia. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp 303–314

    Google Scholar 

  • Harlan J (1969) Ethiopia: a centre of diversity. Econ Bot 23:309–314

    Google Scholar 

  • Hartl DL, Clark AG (1997) Principles of population Genetics, 3rd edn. Sinauer Associations, Inc, Canada press, Urbana

    Google Scholar 

  • Jarvis DI, Brown AHD, Cuong PH, Collado-Panduro L, Latournerie-Moreno L, Gyawali S, Tanto T, Sawadogo M, Mar I, Sadiki M, Hue NT, Arias-Reyes L, Balma D, Bajracharya Castillo JF, Rijal D, Belqadi L, Rana R, Saidi S, Ouedraogo J, Zangre R, Rhrib K, Chavez JL, Schoen D, Sthapit B, De Santis P, Fadda C, Hodgkin T (2008) A global perspective of the richness and evenness of traditional crop-variety diversity maintained by farming communities. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 105:5326–5331. doi:10.1073/pnas.0800607105

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kebebew F, Yemane T, McNeilly T (2001) Morphological and farmers cognitive diversity of barley (Hordeum vulgare L. [Poaceae]) at Bale and North Shewa of Ethiopia. Genet Resour Crop Evol 48:467–481. doi:10.1023/A:1012082812073

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Knüpffer H, Terentyeva I, Hammer K, Kovaleva O, Sato K (2003) Ecogeographical diversity—a Vavilovian approach. In: von Bothmer R, van Hintum Th, Knüpffer H, Sato K (eds) Diversity in barley (Hordeum vulgare). Elsevier Science BV, Amsterdam, pp 53–76

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Lance RCM, Nilan RA (1980) Screening for low acid soluble B-glucan barleys. Barley Genet Newsl 10:41

    Google Scholar 

  • Leur JAG, Gebre H (2003) Diversity between some Ethiopian farmer’s varieties of barley and within these varieties among seed sources. Genet Resour Crop Evol 50:351–357. doi:10.1023/A:1023966702389

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mansfeld R (1950) Das morphologische System der Saatgerste (Hordeum vulgare L. s.l.). Züchter 20:8–24. doi:10.1007/BF01093476 (Translated by P. Hanelt, Gatersleben)

    Google Scholar 

  • Munck L, Karisson KE, Hagberg A, Eggum BO (1971) Gene for improved nutritional value in barley seed protein. Science 168:985–987. doi:10.1126/science.168.3934.985

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Munsell Color Company (1957) Nickerson color fan. Maximum chromas-40 Hues. Munsell colour company InC, Baltimore

    Google Scholar 

  • National Meteorological Agency of Ethiopia (NMSAE). Meteorological research report series (2006) Climatic and agroclimatic resources of Ethiopia, vol 1, no 1, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

  • Negassa M (1985a) Geographic distribution and genotypic diversity of resistance to powdery mildew of barley in Ethiopia. Hereditas 102:113–121. doi:10.1111/j.1601-5223.1985.tb00472.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Negassa M (1985b) Pattern of phenotypic diversity in an Ethiopian barley collection, and the Arsi-Bale highland as a center of origin of barley. Hereditas 102:139–150. doi:10.1111/j.1601-5223.1985.tb00474.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nei M (1978) Estimation of average heterozygosity and genetic distance from a small number of individuals. Genetics 89:583–590

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Orabi J, Backes G, Wolday A, Yahyaoui A, Jahoor A (2007) The horn of Africa as a centre of barley diversification and a potential domestication site. Theor Appl Genet 114:1117–1127. doi:10.1007/s00122-007-0505-5

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Orlov AA (1929) The barley of Abyssinia and Eritrea. Bull Appl Bot Genet Plant Breed 20:283–345

    Google Scholar 

  • Papa R, Attene G, Barcaccia G, Ohgata A, Konishi T (1998) Genetic diversity in landrace populations of Hordeum vulgare L. from Sardinia, Italy, as revealed by RAPDs, isozymes and morphophenological traits. Plant Breed 117:523–530. doi:10.1111/j.1439-0523.1998.tb02201.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Parsons BJ, Newbury HJ, Jackson MT, Ford-Lloyd BV (1999) The genetic structure and conservation of aus, aman and boro rices from Bangladesh. Genet Resour Crop Evol 46:587–598. doi:10.1023/A:1008749532171

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Qualset CO (1975) Sampling germplasm in a center of diversity: an example of disease resistance in Ethiopian barley. In: Frankel OH, Hawkes JG (eds) Crop genetic resources for today and tomorrow. Cambridge Univiversity Press, Cambridge, pp 81–96

    Google Scholar 

  • Rodriguez M, Rau D, Papa R, Attene G (2007) Genotype by environment interactions in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.): different responses of landraces, recombinant inbred lines and varieties to Mediterranean environment. Euphytica 163:231–247. doi:10.1007/s10681-007-9635-8

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • SAS Institute, Inc (1995) JMP software ver 3.1.5

  • Shannon CE, Weaver W (1949) The mathematical theory of communication. University of Illinois Press, Urbana

    Google Scholar 

  • Takahashi R (1955) The origin and evolution of cultivated barley. Adv Genet 7:227–266. doi:10.1016/S0065-2660(08)60097-8

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Takahashi R (1983) Catalogue of the barley germplasm preserved at the Okayama University. Institute of Agricultural and Biological Sciences, Okoyama University, Kurashiki

    Google Scholar 

  • Teshome A, Brown AHD, Hodgkin T (2001) Diversity in landraces of cereal and legume crops. Plant Breed Rev 21:221–261

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tolbert DM, Qualset CO, Jain SK, Craddock JC (1979) A diversity analysis of a world collection of barley. Crop Sci 19:789–794

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vavilov NI (1926) Studies in the origin of cultivated plants. Bull Appl Bot Genet Plant Breed 16:1–248

    Google Scholar 

  • Vavilov NI (1951) The origin, variation, immunity and breeding of cultivated plants. Chron Bot 13:1–366

    Google Scholar 

  • von Bothmer R, Sato K, Komatsudam T, Yasuda S, Fischbeck G (2003) The domestication of cultivated barley. In: von Bothmer R, van Hintum T, Knüpffer H, Sato K (eds) Diversity in barley (Hordeum vulgare). Elsevier Science BV, Amsterdam, pp 9–27

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Ward DJ (1962) Some evolutionary aspects of certain morphological characters in a world collection of barley. USDA-tech bull 1276

  • Webster RK, Jackson LF, Schaller CW (1980) Source of resistance in barley to Rhynchosporium secalis. Plant Dis 64:88–90

    Google Scholar 

  • Weltzien E (1988) Evaluation of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) landrace populations originating from different growing regions in the Near East. Plant Breed 101:95–106. doi:10.1111/j.1439-0523.1988.tb00273.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Weltzien E, Fischbeck G (1990) Performance and variability of local barley landraces in Near-Eastern environments. Plant Breed 104:58–67. doi:10.1111/j.1439-0523.1990.tb00403.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wiberg A (1974) Sources of resistance to powdery mildew in barley. Hereditas 78:1–40. doi:10.1111/j.1601-5223.1974.tb01426.x

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Yeh FC, Yang RC, Boyle TBJ, Ye ZH, Mao JX (1997) POPGENE (version 1.31), the user-friendly shareware for population genetic analysis. Molecular Biology and Biotechnology Centre, University of Alberta, Edmonton

    Google Scholar 

  • Yitbarek S, Berhane L, Fikadu A, van Leur JAG, Grando S, Ceccarelli S (1998) Variation in Ethiopian barley landrace populations for resistance to barley leaf scald and net blotch. Plant Breed 117:419–423. doi:10.1111/j.1439-0523.1998.tb01966.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zeng YW, Shen SQ, Li ZC, Yang Z, Wang XK, Zhang HL, Wen GS (2003) Ecogeographic and genetic diversity based on morphological characters of indigenous rice (Oryza sativa L.) in Yunnan, China. Genet Resour Crop Evol 50:566–577

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhang Q, Webster RK, Allard RW (1987) Geographical distribution and association between resistance to four races of Rhynchosporium secalis. Phytopathol 77:352–357. doi:10.1094/Phyto-77-352

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zohary D, Hopf M (1993) Domestication of plants in the Old World. The origin and spread of cultivated plants in West Asia, Europe and the Nile Valley. Clarendon Press, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We are grateful to the Ethiopian farmers for their kind help and to whom we dedicate this paper. We would like to particularly thank A. H. D. Brown, H. Knüpffer, T. Hodgkin and D. I. Jarvis, for valuable advice. We thank the guides, Asefa Mekonnen, Mengesha Ergeta, Getachew Adere, and Legesse Bejiga, for their support during the survey and collection work. All authors thank Bioversity International for a partial contribution to cover costs of the collection trip to Ethiopia, with particular further thanks from T. Tanto for the support for his stay in Ancona. This study constituted a part of the PhD thesis of Tesema Tanto Hadado.

Author information

Author notes

  1. Tesema Tanto Hadado

    Present address: Institute of Biodiversity Conservation, P.O. Box 30726, Addis Abab, Ethiopia

  2. Domenico Rau

    Present address: Dipartimento di Scienze Agronomiche e Genetica Vegetale Agraria, Università degli Studi di Sassari, Via E. De Nicola, 07100, Sassari, Italy

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dipartimento di Scienze Ambientali e delle Produzioni Vegetali, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, 60131, Ancona, Italy

    Tesema Tanto Hadado, Domenico Rau, Elena Bitocchi & Roberto Papa

Authors
  1. Tesema Tanto Hadado
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Domenico Rau
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Elena Bitocchi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Roberto Papa
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Roberto Papa.

Electronic supplementary material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplementary material 1 (DOC 388 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Tanto Hadado, T., Rau, D., Bitocchi, E. et al. Genetic diversity of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) landraces from the central highlands of Ethiopia: comparison between the Belg and Meher growing seasons using morphological traits. Genet Resour Crop Evol 56, 1131–1148 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10722-009-9437-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10722-009-9437-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation