Induced mutation has therefore produced an exceptional genotype in 'Golden Promise' from what was a mediocre cultivar, 'Maythorpe1. 'Golden Promise' was extremely important in the UK barley industry, and dominated the Scottish barley acreage in the 1970s to mid-1980s. However, the mutations in 'Golden Promise' may have greater potential in other agricultural systems, i.e, for improving the salt tolerance of cultivars in arid regions of the world.