Polymorphism of floral type gene Cly1 and its association with thermal stress in barley

Cleistogamy refers to a type of sexual breeding system with closed flowers. Cleistogamous flowers shed their pollen before flower opening, which leads to autogamy. Two SNPs in the open reading frame region of the Cly1 gene are associated with floral type. In the present study, we investigated the floral type of 436 barley accessions. Molecular markers were developed to genotype these barley accessions based on the two SNPs in the Cly1 gene region. The molecular markers explained floral type in 90% of the accessions. The Cly1 gene was sequenced in accessions with inconsistent genotype and phenotype. Thirteen SNPs were detected with ten new SNPs in the gene region. We further investigated whether floral type was associated with temperature stress tolerance in four field trials. One site experienced frost stress with a minimum temperature of -3.4°C during flowering. Grain fertility rates as low as 85% were observed at this site but ranged from 92–96% at the other three sites. The relationship between grain fertility rate and floral type under temperature stress was inconclusive. Some lines with higher grain fertility rates were identified under frost stress, and would be useful for frost stress studies in barley.