Genetic diversity and population structure analysis of barley landraces from Shanghai region using genotyping-by-sequencing

Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) is an important economic crop for food, feed and industrial raw materials. In the
present research, 112 barley landraces from the Shanghai region were genotyped using genotyping-by-sequencing
(GBS), and the genetic diversity and population structure were analyzed. The results showed that 210,268 Single
Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) were present in total, and the average poly-morphism information content
(PIC) was 0.1642. Genetic diversity and population structure analyses suggested that these barley landraces were
differentiated and could be divided into three sub-groups, with morphological traits of row-type and adherence of
the hulls the main distinguishing factors between groups. Genotypes with similar or duplicated names were also
investigated according to their genetic backgrounds and seed appearances. This study provided valuable information on barley landraces from the Shanghai region, and showed that all these barley landraces should be protected
and used for future breeding programs