β-glucans content as a perspective trait in the barley breeding for foodstuff use (review)

On the ground of data of foreign literature the authors consider the target utilization of barley in connection with β-glucans in grain. The authors analyzed the influence of a genotype, climatic conditions and agronomic methods of plant growing on β-glucans content in barley corn. The information was presented about physiologo-biochemical parameters β-glucans, which may be helpful for a development of indirect estimation of breeding material. Thus, it was fixed the negative correlation between β-glucans content in barley grain on the one hand and value of 1000seeds mass, amylose and starch content, ash percent, corn yield — on the other hand. The strong positive correlation was found between the content in corn of β-glucans, lipids, protein and the grain-unit and its hardness. The existence of such correlations makes possible the development of indirect estimation during barley breeding on heightened/reduced β-glucans content in grain. It was shown, that glumaceous amylose-free varieties are more advanced agronomically (in arid climate, especially), as they are able to realize a substantial potential of yield with high content of β-glucans. The authors made a conclusion about an importance of genetic variability in content of β-glucans in barley grain for successful breeding on this determinant.