What is Tritordeum?

Tritordeum is a novel cereal created by wide hybridization between durum (pasta) wheat and Hordeum chilense, a wild barley species. H chilense originates in Chile and Argentina where it grows in a range of environments ranging from high mountains to coastal regions.

The techniques used to create tritordeum are those of classical breeding (cross-pollination and embryo rescue) and do not involve genetic modification (GM), so tritordeum is a natural crop species.

Tritordeum was first created by Professor Antonio Martin in 1977. It was noted immediately that the new species had a number of attractive characters, such as large ears, long, well-filled seeds and high protein content. In the subsequent thirty years of breeding, tritordeum has been transformed into a modern cereal, with yields similar to wheat and resistance to drought and heat stress.

In 2006 Agrasys acquired exclusive commercial rights to tritordeum and its breeding programme from the CSIC and is continuing the development of the new crop in close collaboration with Professor Martin, who is one of the promoters of the company.

Since Agrasys holds exclusive rights to exploitation of tritordeum, the company is in a position to grant exclusive commercial licenses to partners and clients. As no other source of tritordeum exists, unique products may be developed and protected.

Why is Tritordeum Special?

The germplasm base from which advanced tritordeum lines are selected contains more than 250 unique primary tritordeum lines, derived from crosses between different durum wheat and H. chilense parents. This collection of germplasm contains great diversity for many characters of interest such as nutritional and functional components. Such diversity has largely been lost in conventional cereals which, after centuries of breeding and selection, are much more homogenous.

Properties of Tritordeum Lines

Tritordeum has qualities and functionalities not seen in other cereals, giving opportunities for producing novel cereal-based functional foods. Among characteristics being developed are lines with exceptionally high levels of lutein, a carotenoid antioxidant, high levels of soluble fibre, phenolic antioxidants and microelements. In addition, advanced lines are being screened for variation in other functional components, such as starch composition, tocols and vitamins, sugars, protein profile, etc.

Apart from its nutritional and functional qualities, tritordeum has very good organoleptic properties, with its products having a pleasant taste and being free from off-flavours.

A number of the components in tritordeum give nutritional and health benefits, having activity in improving gut function and combating obesity and diabetes, reducing the incidence of bowel cancer and improving cardio-vascular health. Lutein, which is present at up to ten-fold the levels found in bread wheat, is strongly implicated in the maintenance of eye health, having activity against macular degeneration.

For food applications tritordeum is marketed under the registered trade mark of Vivagran®. More information on Vivagran® and a product  brochure is available at www.vivagran.com.

Uses of Tritordeum

A fundamental property of tritordeum is that it has gluten proteins which allow it to be used for bread making, differentiating it from cereals such as barley and oats which cannot be used for risen breads.

Tritordeum lines are available which are suitable for various cereal food applications, including breads, biscuits, sponge, cereals etc. Further applications are being developed by Agrasys and its partners.

Tritordeum offers cereal users the possibility of developing innovative products with valuable nutritional and functional properties, in a broad range of cereal food applications. Tritordeum is unique in that no other novel cereal apt for human consumption is available in the market.

Tritordeum Varieties / Advanced Lines

The first tritordeum line which will be registered as a variety is HT1608, which entered the registration process in 2008, with the name “JB1”. Several other advanced lines are in the latter stages of development and evaluation and are expected to be registered in 2009 / 2010.