Chinese Researchers Decode Barley Early Maturity Genetics

People's Daily reported that a research team led by Yang Ping at the Institute of Crop Sciences under the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, collaborating with domestic and international institutions, analyzed the genetic background and breeding selection shifts across more than 80 years of Chinese barley history. Their findings, published in Nature, revealed the genetic basis coordinating early maturity and stable yield for autumn-sown barley in double-cropping regions. Spending 10 years mapping a breeding selection atlas for Chinese barley, the team discovered that European high-yielding and high-quality malting barley introduced since the mid-20th century integrated with native varieties through adaptive improvements. This established a germplasm population balancing productive potential with local environmental adaptability, forming the genetic foundation of modern Chinese malting and feed barley. The scientists also identified a linked gene module comprising the phytochrome gene PhyC and the vernalization gene VRN-H1. Acting respectively like an accelerator and a brake in regulating flowering, these elements finely orchestrate the plant growth process to unite early maturity with stable, high yields.