Abstract
A procedure adapted for rapid routine analyses was used to determine the content of starch, amylose, low molecular weight carbohydrates, and dietary fibre in grain from 37 barley genotypes grown in triplicate yield trials. Among 20 highβyielding spring barley varieties grown in two subsequent years, the content of starch varied from 55 to 62% of the dry matter, while the content of amylose varied from 23 to 35% and averaged 30% of the starch. Among 17 exotic genotypes and mutant lines the content of starch and amylose in starch varied from 43 to 62% and from 17 to 48%, respectively. The amylose content was related neither to starch content nor grain yield. The content of low molecular weight carbohydrates was high in some starchβdeficient mutants but close to 2% in all other varieties and genotypes. There was a negative relation between grain yield and low molecular weight carbohydrates among the highβyielding varieties. The content of dietary fibre varied from 18 to 25% in highβyielding varieties, but was considerably influenced by environment. The content of dietary fibre was unrelated to grain yield or kernel weight. The exotic genotypes contained from 14 to 29% dietary fibre. Starchβdeficient mutants produced more dietary fibre per kernel than did normal varieties.