Conversion of hulled into naked barley by Cas endonuclease-mediated knockout of the NUD gene.

The hulled and naked barley isogenic lines generated are a perfect experimental model for further studies on pleiotropic consequences of nud mutations on overall plant performance under particular consideration of yield-determining traits. Due to the high β-glucan content of its grains, naked barley is considered as being of particular dietary value. The possibility to convert hulled into naked barley cultivars by targeted mutagenesis allows breeders to extend the potential utilization of barley by the provision of functional food.