Relationships between spike morphology, hordeins and altitude within Ethiopian barley, Hordeum vulgare L. (Poaceae)

摘要

Three sets of data, i.e., morphological (relating to the spike), biochemical (hordein), and environmental (altitude), were recovered on a sample of the presently cultivated landrace varieties of Ethiopian barley. Application of a computer programme involving multivariate statistical analyses uncovered the latent but significant associations among the three parameters. Thus, associations were evident between morphology and hordeins, morphology and altitude, and hordeins and altitude. The magnitude of the observed association was highest between morphology and hordeins (R2=46 %) and lowest between hordeins and altitude (R2=5 %). Each morphological character studied was identified with one or a few hordein bands, while altitude was associated with a few hordein bands and some spike characters. In some cases a character was found to be simultaneously correlated with two characters from the other parameters. These results are interpreted as arising from linkages, accumulations, and/or pleiotropic effects of some genes. A deeper understanding of the nature of the relationships indicated by these results requires further studies involving pure lines for individual characters.