Barley is one of the world’s most widely-cultivated cereals. To improve hardiness, yield, or other desired traits, barley breeders cross different varieties to enrich beneficial genes. This is achieved through a process known as homologous recombination, which results in genetic diversity through the exchange of materials between chromosomes.
However, in barley this exchange is largely confined to chromosome ends, in effect “locking up” many agronomically important genes. This is a major genetic barrier to the breeding process, and in addition, some genes are linked to undesirable traits. Therefore, a key issue for barley breeders is how to improve recombination frequency and break undesirable linkages. The aim of this study is to investigate how cells regulate homologous recombination, with the ultimate goal of creating a genetic tool to improve barley recombination and accelerate the barley breeding process.