The Domestication Syndrome Genes Responsible for the Major Changes in Plant Form in the Triticeae Crops

Abstract

The process of crop domestication began 10,000 years ago in the transition of early humans from hunter/gatherers to pastoralists/farmers. Recent research has revealed the identity of some of the main genes responsible for domestication. Two of the major domestication events in barley were (i) the failure of the spike to disarticulate and (ii) the six-rowed spike. The former mutation increased grain yield by preventing grain loss after maturity, while the latter resulted in an up to 3-fold increase in yield potential. Here we provide an overview of the disarticulation systems and inflorescence characteristics, along with the genes underlying these traits, occurring in the Triticeae tribe.

Keywords

Barley; Domestication; Non-brittle rachis; Six-rowed spike; Triticeae; vrs1

Published in

Plant and Cell Physiology
2011, volume: 52, number: 5, pages: 738-749
Publisher: OXFORD UNIV PRESS

SLU Authors

• Salomon, Björn

  • Department of Plant Breeding, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

UKÄ Subject classification

Agricultural Science
Environmental Sciences and Nature Conservation

Publication identifier

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/pcp/pcr025

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/58818