ASSESSING FLAVONOID CONTENT IN BARLEY GENOTYPES: GENETIC CONTRIBUTIONS AND HYBRID POTENTIAL FOR NUTRITIONAL IMPROVEMENT

This study aimed to assess the genetic potential of barley genotypes for flavonoid content, focusing on catechins, myricetin, quercetin, kaempferol, and total flavonoids.A half-diallel mating design involving seven parental barley varieties was employed to create 21 hybrid combinations.The parental genotypes and their F1 hybrids were evaluated for their flavonoid content, namely catechins, myricetin, quercetin, kaempferol and total flavonoids with significant variations observed in both the parental and hybrid populations.Among the parental genotypes, Yundamai2 exhibited the highest catechin content, while Baodamai6 and Supi4 Barley showed superior myricetin and total flavonoid content.Hybrid combinations, such as Hatiexi Barley S500 Barley, demonstrated high values for multiple flavonoid compounds, indicating the potential for heterosis and genetic improvement in flavonoid production.General combining ability (GCA) and specific combining ability (SCA) analysis revealed the genetic contributions of individual genotypes to flavonoid biosynthesis, with significant variation observed for each flavonoid compound.This research highlights the genetic potential of specific barley varieties and hybrid combinations for improving flavonoid content, which is essential for enhancing plant stress tolerance and nutritional quality.