CGN barley collection

Composition

Important wild species in the collection are H. bulbosum and H. murinum. Other wild species that are included are H. vulgare subsp. spontaneum, H. pusillum, H. chilense, H. cordobense, H. stenostachys, H. comosum, H. jubatum, H. lechleri, H. procerum, H. depressum, H. marinum, H. bogdani and H. brevisubulatum. The majority of the cultivated H. vulgare material are spring types, and the winter types only represent a small part. The intermediate types that represent only a tiny fraction were mainly collected during missions to Pakistan at altitudes of around 2000 meters (Pakistan-Netherlands expedition).

The H. vulgare material consists for more than half of landraces, and for a third of cultivars and breeding material. Between 1953 and 1981, a large number of landraces were collected in several countries located in the center of diversity of Hordeum, such as Iran, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Ethiopia. There are only a limited number of landraces from Europe, and these are mainly from South European countries. Only a few old Dutch landraces like Maartsche gerst, zesrijige uit Wijlre, Terschelling tweerijige and Vierrijige Blauwkaf, that were cultivated before 1890, are present. The majority of the cultivars are from Europe, including a part from the Netherlands. The accessions classified as research material are mainly from European and North American origin.