Sabbi’s Research and Developement mision is to ensure sustainable barley production for the benefit of SAB, SABM and the producer through innovative R&D. Producers will need better quality, higher yielding and more resistant varieties as well as increased knowledge of enhanced agricultural production practices in order to be more competitive with global competitors.

The following research fields and techniques are currently utilised to improve the effectiveness of production practices and the breeding programs:

Marker Assisted Selection (MAS)

Traditionally breeders use phenotypical characteristics (visual) to select superior individuals. This method results in limited success in selecting individuals with good malting and brewing quality. DNA markers are segments of barley DNA that are unique to a specific segment of the barley chromosome. These markers indicate the absence or presence of specific quality attributes and are always inherent and detectable, despite the environment or cultivation practices. With the use of MAS in a breeding program a piece of unique DNA (marker) is always linked with a specific gene (e.g. spot blotch resistance) and that marker can now be used to select resistant progeny.

Doubled Haploids in Barley Breeding

A pure breeding barley variety contains seven pairs of chromosomes (14 chromosomes) and the two chromosomes in a pair are exactly the same. After a cross is made between two barley plants of different varieties, it takes five years of inbreeding in the field before a homozygote (pure breeding) plant is obtained.

Doubled haploids are generated from pollen (microspores) of the barley plant which obtains only half of the number of chromosomes (seven). When these seven chromosomes are doubled artificially in the laboratory, the resulting fertile plantlets are called Doubled Haploids. Doubled haploids can be produced within six months in the laboratory. With conventional breeding it takes five years in the field to obtain the same level of homozygosity. Doubled haploids therefore save the breeder time and new varieties can be released in a shorter period of time.

It is therefore evident that the combination of the MAS and doubled haploid techniques can be a very powerful tool in the hands of the modern day breeder and can be a recipe for success much faster and with much more certainty.

Use of Satellite Images (Normalised difference vegetation index -NDVI)

With the launch of the first ERTS (Earth Resources Technology Satellite) by NASA in 1972, the door was opened for researchers to use the IR (Infra Red) technology with which the LANSAT1 satellite is equipped.

Life green plants absorb sunlight and use this as a source of energy during the photosynthesis process. Plant cells, however, reflect 50% of this sunlight back into the atmosphere. This reflected sunlight is measured by Infra Red Scanners and expressed as the NDV Index. In other words, the better the plant development (leaf canopy and chlorophyll content), the higher the reflection measured and the higher the NDV index. Further research shows that NDVI has a direct relationship to the photosynthesis capacity and therefore the energy absorption capacity of the plants.

Satellite images can be beneficial for the following:

• Identification of sub standard irrigation practices
• Identification of drainage problems
• Selective fertilization requirement adjustments
• Crop estimates
• Management of several production units, as it can be monitored simultaneously
• Can be used in support of soil and yield maps

NDVI is a handy piece of new technology which researchers and producers can use to monitor the development of different crops.

Near Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy (NIRS)

NIRS is a spectroscopic method utilizing the near infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum. Typical applications include pharmaceutical, medical diagnostics, food and agrochemical quality control, as well as combustion research.

Lately NIRS was developed and applied as an accurate, rapid and cost effective commercial platform to assay and critically describe cereal grain quality, according to a broad array of commercial value parameters. The NIRS could be developed to provide a characterization system, delivering value from producer to end-user.

N-Tester

Optimum plant growth maximizes the transformation of sunlight into plant available energy. The “bio-catalyst for this reaction is chlorophyll; therefore optimum plant growth is closely related to optimum chlorophyll content. The N-Tester is a chlorophyll meter based on the SPAD 502 (Minolta). It is simple to use and gives immediate results measuring the chlorophyll concentration. In comparison to chemical analysis, which are time consuming and cost intensive, tools like the N-Tester provide a rapid, in-field diagnostic test that can be used to monitor the plant chlorophyll level.

The chlorophyll content of the leaves is closely correlated to the nitrogen concentration of the leaves. The nitrogen concentration, on the other hand, is a good indicator of the crop’s nutrient status and is an important piece of information for fertilizer management and especially nitrogen fertilization which play a very important role in the end quality of barley, malt and eventually beer.