PRODUCTION OF BASIC HYBRID BARLEY SEEDS

In France, only 2 companies are producing basic hybrid barley seeds - Cérience is one of them. The implantation protocol consists in sowing alternate strips of male and female breeding plants.

The female plant is known as “male sterile”, i.e., it shouldn’t produce any pollen at the time of flowering. The fertilization must be crossed with the male plant strips present in the plot.

Right before the barley heading, Cérience team of technicians has performed the installation work of the anti-pollen bags in female plant strips. This allows to avoid any pollen contamination of the male strips and to ensure the male sterility of the female breeding plants. 

Next June, the bags will be removed to make sure no grain have formed, and then validate the sterility of the progenitor and thus the production of basic female seeds.