Breeding of Fukumi Fiber, a new six-rowed waxy hull-less barley cultivar containing high levels of β-glucan with a proanthocyanidin-free gene

Fukumi Fiber, a new six-rowed hull-less barley cultivar, has an extremely high β-glucan content; this is the world's first cultivar with two genes (<i>wax</i> and <i>amo1</i>) boosting the content of β-glucan and one gene (<i>ant28.2131</i>) suppressing the browning reaction after cooking, to our knowledge. The β-glucan content of pearled barley is 13.2% in Fukumi Fiber, and is approximately three times higher than that of the standard barley cultivar Ichibanboshi and approximately two times higher than that of the waxy cultivars Daishimochi and Kirari-mochi. Fukumi Fiber has a standard plump grain percentage required for a six-rowed hull-less barley cultivars. The yield is over 10% higher than that of Ichibanboshi. Fukumi Fiber is suitable for cultivation in the plains of central and western Japan and was released in 2018. It can be used for cooked pearled barley and various purposes such as confectionery, noodles, and bread. The spread of this cultivar is expected to lead to a stable supply and the expansion of high-value-added domestic waxy barley.