DISTRIBUTION AND DIVERSITY OF HORDEIN ALLELES IN BARLEY VARIETIES

The hordein composition of 706 barley varieties from 15 different coun tries was analysed and recorded using standard procedures. A total of 22 C-hordein and 26 B-hordein alleles was found, some of which have no t previously been reported using these procedures. Seventy-nine of the varieties were heterogeneous in their hordein composition. The freque ncy of occurrence of the alleles in the varieties fi om the various co untries was determined, along with a measure of the gene diversity. Th e varieties could be divided into 105 groups on the basis of their ove rall hordein allele composition. The results are discussed in the cont ext of the use of hordein analysis for distinctness, uniformity and st ability testing in barley.