Molecular-based genetic diversity for a set of 141 accessions of Korean barley cultivars and 24 accessions of foreign exotic cultivars were analyzed using random amplified polymorphic DNAs (RAPDs). Different level of genetic variability was observed with 30 random decamer primers in the Korean barley varieties and breeding lines which were preliminarily classified by morphological (hulled & hulless barley) and end-use (malting barley) and/or by the released periods. A total of 74 RAPD bands were scored, and the number of bands per primer varied from 1 to 7 with an average of 2.74. The hulled barley pool had one more marker genotype per primer than the hulless barley pool. The polymorphic information content (PIC) values based on the band pattern frequencies among genotypes varied depending on genetic pools where mean PICs of hulled, hulless and malting barleys were 0.62, 0.57, and 0.43, respectively. Certain genomic loci amplified by opR04, opF01, opB05, and opC13 were highly polymorphic with PIC>0.8. Patterns and temporal trends of genetic diversity assessed over the period from 1970s to 1990s had a tendency to increase, and in particular, this upward slant was quite clear and significant for the hulless barley pool. In the cluster analysis using genetic similarity matrix calculated from RAPD profiles, two major groups and several small subgroups were classified. Major grouping of materials was not affected by the presence of the husk but by their genetic background and the spike-row type. The validity of information on the genetic diversity and relationships between genotypes will have been reviewed to predict their yield potential.

Allelic diversity of 44 microsatellite marker loci originated from the coding regions of specific genes or the non-coding regions of barley genome was analyzed for 19 barley genotypes. Multi-allelic variation was observed at the most of marker loci except for HVM13, HVM15, HVM22, and HVM64. The number of different alleles ranged from 2 to 12 with a mean of 4.0 alleles per micro-satellite. Twenty-one alleles derived from 10 marker loci are specific for certain genotypes. The level of polymorphism (Polymorphic Information Content, PIC) based on the band pattern frequencies among genotypes was relatively high at the several loci such as HVM3, HVM5, HVM14, HVM36, HVM62 and HVM67. In the cluster analysis using genetic similarity matrix calculated from microsatellite-derived DNA profiles, two major groups were classified and the spike-row type was a major factor for clustering. Correlation between genetic similarity matrices based on microsatellite markers and pedigree data was highly significant (r=0.57** ), but these two parameters were moderately associated each other. On the other hand, RAPD-based genetic similarity matrix was more highly associated with microsatellite-based genetic similarity (r=0.63** ) than coefficient of parentage.