E-Malt.com News article: USA: The American Malting Barley Association announces recommended malting barley varieties for 2015

The American Malting Barley Association, Inc. (AMBA) announced on December 12 the list of recommended malting barley varieties for the 2015 growing season.

AMBA is a nonprofit trade association of 70 U.S. malting, brewing and distilling companies that provide funding for the development of new barley varieties and evaluates new selections for their suitably in the U.S.

Endeavor, a winter two-row variety has been added for 2015 and Robust, a six-row variety on the list since 1984, has been dropped from the list.

Endeavor was selected from a cross made at the USDA Agricultural Research Service National Small Grains Germplasm Research Facility in Aberdeen, ID, from the variety Harrington and an Oregon State University line developed from European barleys.

As with other winter varieties like Charles and Wintmalt, Endeavor can provide a yield advantage over spring types in areas where climatic conditions allow for their winter survival.

The recommended two-rowed varieties for 2015 are ABI Voyager, AC Metcalfe, CDC Copeland, CDC Meredith, Charles, Conlon, Conrad, Endeavor, Expedition, Harrington, Hockett, Merit, Merit 57, Moravian 37, Moravian 69, Pinnacle, Scarlett, and Wintmalt.

Six-rowed varieties are Celebration, Innovation, Lacey, Legacy, Quest, Stellar-ND, and Tradition.

Malting barley growers are encouraged to contact their local elevator, grain handler or processor to gauge market demand for varieties grown in their region prior to seeding.

Malting barley development in the U.S. is carried out by both public and private breeding programs located throughout the major producing areas. In the early stages of development, new lines are evaluated for yield, disease resistance and malting quality on a small scale.

As more data is gathered on a regional basis, the most promising lines are advanced to commercial malting and brewing trials. Those that have the agronomic and quality characteristics desired for production in the U.S. are included on the AMBA recommended list.


17 December, 2014