Author
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Obert, Donald |
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Submitted to: Barley Improvement Conference Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings Publication Acceptance Date: 3/15/2005 Publication Date: 4/1/2005 Citation: Obert, DE. 2005 Potential and status of winter malting barley development in the US. P53-58. Proceedings of the 35th Barley Improvement Conference. Jan 11-12. Charleston, SC. Interpretive Summary: The development of winter malting barley cultivars, and their subsequent use by the malting and brewing industry, would provide several advantages over the current practice of growing only spring malting barley cultivars. Among these advantages are 1) increased yield of winter cultivars, 2) the better use of limited water supplies for irrigation, 3) a more stable supply of malting barley due to earlier harvest of the winter crop, and 4) added flexibility for the barley producer in deployment of equipment and labor, marketing, and risk management. The current culture of winter barley in the United States is limited. In fact, it is so limited that state barley variety surveys make no mention of winter barley varieties. Regardless, winter feed barleys are grown in Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. This is not the case with winter malting barleys, as there are no current winter varieties currently recommended by the American Malting Barley Association (AMBA). In spite of the fact that winter barley acreage is small, there is public sector research aimed at improving winter barley cultivars in the US because of the significant potential for the crop. Most of this effort is geared toward the development of feed barleys. Public winter barley breeding programs are in place at Oregon State University, USDA-ARS-Aberdeen, ID, Virginia Tech. University, and the University of Nebraska. Except for USDA-ARS and Oregon State University, the programs are a small part of the project leader’s responsibility. The largest of these programs is the ARS breeding program at Aberdeen, ID which has three testing locations in Idaho (Aberdeen, Filer, and Parma), two in Oregon (Corvallis and Pendleton), and one in Pullman, WA The widespread growth, and subsequent industry utilization, of a winter malting barley will require a concerted effort of researchers, producers, and industry. The producers want to grow winter malting barley, and the infrastructure for growth and utilization is already present due to the large acreage of spring malting barley being contracted in potential winter malting areas. With the development and release of improved winter malting cultivars, the continued supply of high quality winter malting barley seems likely into the future. Technical Abstract: Historically nearly all malting barley produced in the U.S. has been from spring cultivars. All currently recommended malting barleys are spring types. Charles is a new 2-row winter malting barley that has superior yield potential compared to spring malting barleys currently being grown in the intermountain west. Charles provides producers with additional cropping opportunities and represents a potential product for the malting and brewing industry. |
