Cover -- Contributors -- Contents -- Preface -- Contributors -- Section I: Introduction -- Chapter 1. Barley diversity- an introduction -- Biodiversity -- a matter of global concern -- Importance of barley -- Components of the book -- Conventions -- Closing remarks -- Acknowledgements -- References -- Section II: Origin of Barley Diversity -- Chapter 2. The domestication of cultivated barley -- Taxonomic position of barley -- The genus Hordeum and the genepools of barley -- The wild progenitor of barley -- The domestication of barley -- Theories of domestication -- Expansion of barley cultivation during prehistoric times -- Important traits for domestication and early migration -- Conclusions and outlook -- References -- Chapter 3. Diversification through breeding -- Introduction -- Expansion of barley cultivation through history -- Barley breeding -- Measuring genetic diversity -- Conclusions and outlook -- Acknowledgements -- References -- Section III: Current Barley Diversity -- Chapter 4. Ecogeographical diversity -- a Vavilovian approach -- Introduction -- Characters used for the delimitation and description of agro-ecological groups -- Centres of diversity and agro-ecological groups -- Conclusions and outlook -- Acknowledgements -- References -- Chapter 5. Diversity of barley mutants -- Introduction -- Sources of hereditary variation -- Naming and grouping of barley mutants -- Descriptions of different mutant groups -- Environmental stress responses -- Nutritional quality factors -- Conclusions and outlook -- References -- Chapter 6. Cytogenetic diversity -- Introduction -- General karyotype variation -- Chromosome structural variation -- Molecular cytogenetic variation -- Conclusions and outlook -- References -- Chapter 7. Molecular diversity of the barley genome -- Introduction -- Isozymes -- Hordeins -- DNA Markers -- Conclusions and outlook -- References -- Chapter 8. Diversity in resistance to biotic stresses -- Introduction -- Terminology -- Diversity in resistance to fungal diseases -- Diversity in resistance and tolerance to virus diseases -- Diversity in resistance to pests and nematodes -- Conclusions and outlook -- Acknowledgements -- References -- Chapter 9. Diversity in abiotic stress tolerances -- Introduction -- Drought tolerance -- Winter hardiness -- Flooding tolerance -- Tolerance to pre-harvest sprouting -- Deep-seeding tolerance -- Salinity tolerance -- Acid and alkaline soils and tolerance to heavy metals -- Conclusions and outlook -- Acknowledgements -- References -- Chapter 10. Genetic diversity for quantitatively inherited agronomic and malting quality traits -- Introduction -- Agronomic traits -- Malting quality traits -- Quantitative Trait Loci (QTL) -- Conclusions and outlook -- References -- Section IV: Conservation and Future Utilization of Barley -- Chapter 11. Detecting diversity -- a new holistic, exploratory approach bridging phenotype and genotype -- Introduction -- Plant breeding as a multidisciplinary technology -- Screening method.