Comparison of computer image analysis and urea soluble proteins electophoresis for the identification of malting barley varieties

Applicability of computer image analysis to the differentiation of varietie s of malting barley-three from Poland (Atol, Orlik and Polo), and four obta ined in Germany and France (Maresi, Nevada, Prisma and Scarlett), was teste d. Length, width, perimeter, projected surface area, and contour shape fact ors were determined. The values of the geometric features of the varieties Atol, Orlik, Polo, Maresi, Nevada, Prisma and Scarlett were statistically a nalysed. The electrophoresis of urea-soluble proteins extracted from kernel s was used as a comparative method. The shape parameter expressed as the ra tio of kernel width to length nearly always exceeded 0.5 for the West Europ ean varieties, bat for the Polish varieties if was rarely greater than 0.5. The kernel width of the variety Polo was statistically significantly diffe rent from all the other varieties. The kernel length of the two varieties: Atol and Scarlett, was statistically significantly different from that of a ll the other varieties. Kernels of the three Polish varieties: Atol, Orlik and Polo, showed statistically significantly differences in the contour sha pe factors W, compared to the French and German varieties Nevada, Prisma, S carlett and Maresi. Electrophoretic differences in urea-soluble proteins we re observed between all the varieties. This observation confirmed the assum ption that it should be possible to discriminate between malting varieties on the basis of characteristics of urea-soluble proteins. In contrast, comp uter image analysis was applicable to the discrimination of varieties only in a few cases.