New two-rowed malting barley [Hordeum vulgare] cultivar ""Sukai Golden""

A two-rowed malting barley cultivar ""Sukai Golden"" was released from Tochigi Branch, Tochigi Prefectural Agriculture Experimental Station, Tochigi, JAPAN. The cultivar was registered as a recommended cultivar for Tochigi prefecture in 2000 and as ""Nijo Omugi Norin 20"" in 2001. ""Sukai Golden"" was developed from a cross between ""Kanto Nijo 25"" and ""Tochikei 216"" made in 1990 by the derived line breeding method. The breeding objectives were resistance to Barley Yellow Mosaic Virus (BaYMV) strains type 1 and 3, resistance to powdery mildew, good malting quality, and high yield. Fl, F2, and F3 generations of the hybrid population were accelerated by the rapid generation scheme. Lines highly resistant to BaYMV (strains type 1 and 3) and powdery mildew were selected in the F4 generation. The agronomic characteristics of ""Sukai Golden"" are as follows. The degree of spring habit is 1. The heading date is one or two days earlier, and the maturing date is two days earlier than for the standard malting cultivar, ""Amagi Nijo"". The plant is of the tillering type, with a short culm length and a short dense ear. Lodging resistance is strong. ""Sukai Golden"" is highly resistant to BaYMV strains type 1 and 3, and powdery mildew. Yield is similar to ""Amagi Nijo"". The thousand-kernel weight and screening in 2.5 mm serving sieve are superior to those of ""Amagi Nijo"" and ""Mikamo Golden"". Grain quality is as good as or slightly better than ""Amagi Nijo"". The malting qualities of ""Sukai Golden"" are as follows. Water sensitivity is higher than ""Amagi Nijo"" and similar to ""Takaho Golden"". Crude protein content is higher than ""Amagi Nijo"" and similar to ""Mikamo Golden"" and ""Takaho Golden"", and soluble nitrogen is higher than ""Amagi Nijo"". Malt extract, Diastic power per total nitrogen, and apparent final attenuation are very good, and superior to ""Mikamo Golden"", p-glucan content is as low as ""Mikamo Golden"", so ""Sukai Golden"" has excellent malting quality. The yield trials, performed in several prefectural agriculture experiment stations in Japan, show that ""Sukai Golden"" is early maturing, similar in yield to the standard cultivar, and well adapted to the flat area of the Kanto, Tokai, Kinki, Chugoku, and Sikoku districts of Japan.