Location: Cereal Crops Research
2017 Annual Report
Objectives
Objective 1. Identify, develop, validate, and implement new measurements of malting quality, especially those relating to protein mobilization during germination, in barley germplasm in order to identify those genotypes showing enhanced malting quality attributes. Objective 2. Apply standard malting quality assessments to germplasm submitted by collaborating public sector barley breeding programs, researchers, and other stakeholder organizations in order to identify new (barley) varieties with suitable malting quality attributes.
Approach
Surveying populations that have been extensively genotyped and mapped for malting
quality will allow us to generate datasets that include process (proteinase
activity), phenotype (malting quality), and genotype (>3000 SNP loci) information. Examining a range of barley genetic resources will enable us to use that genetic diversity to identify fundamental processes underlying malting quality. We will use this information to identify new targets and develop additional mechanisms to screen for improved malting barley genotypes. The new screening mechanisms may involve biochemical measurements that we could implement in our malting quality analysis program. Alternatively, the new tests could utilize genetic tools that breeders could incorporate into their own germplasm characterization, simplifying and streamlining their malting quality selection process.
Progress Report
Malting Quality Analyses support. The ARS in Madison, WI met over 6,200 requests for malting quality analytical data from public-sector barley germplasm enhancement programs and collaborating barley researchers. Barley testing was performed on over 140 samples to assist stakeholders in their selection of material for pilot scale malting and testing brewing trials to determine suitability of germplasm for release as an approved malting quality variety with the potential for value added payment. The reduced-scale methodologies developed for generating malts and for conducting many standard tests have been adopted by additional barley research programs.
Accomplishments
1. New cultivar approved for malting. ARS researchers in Madison, Wisconsin provided quality analysis data to appropriate commodity technical committee which resulted in the addition of LCS Genie to the list of cultivars approved for malting purposes in the U.S. This cultivar provided growers and end product users a new barley with improved agronomic and quality traits compared to currently available malting barley cultivars.
