Australia: Adelaide scientists prepare to release a revolutionary barley variety

Adelaide agricultural scientists are about to release a new type of barley grain they say could boost yields by as much as 10 per cent, ABC reported on January 8.

The variety named Compass has been developed over the past five years by a team at the University of Adelaide's Waite Campus.

Test crops were planted in a range of conditions at more than 34 farms across the country, including sites in Western Australia and Queensland.

The barley is one of many new Australian varieties undergoing testing ahead of commercial approval and researchers hope the final test results will be released within weeks, making the grain available for sowing in 2015.

Program leader Jason Eglinton says the crop has demonstrated its robustness during trials and yields about 10 per cent more than the dominant Commander variety.

"The improvements that we've been able to achieve are through a number of small contributions all combined," he said.

"There's improvements in the disease resistance of the new variety.

There's improvements in the grain size and the stability in the grain size, small differences in its developmental pattern."

Dr Eglinton says the grain is not the result of genetic modification but selective breeding.

"It's based on classical breeding methodology so hybridising different parents, crossing different parents," he said.

"But these days it uses a lot of technology to identify those lines that have the best combination of genes or traits that farmers or the malting and brewing industry are looking for.

"The new variety will go out to commercial scale seed growers this coming season."

Dr Eglinton says the sturdiness of the crop is not the only challenge, with the important taste test coming once the barley is converted into beer.

"We have to work closely with domestic brewing companies as well as international brewing companies to make sure that new varieties fit with their requirements," he said.

"Here in Adelaide, Coopers brewery and West End brewery are important collaborators for us.

"Large international breweries are also important customers.

The likes of Tsingtao breweries in China, Carlsberg and Heineken breweries ...they actually co-invest and collaborate with the breeding program."

But brewery suppliers may not be licking their lips just yet, with an August report by the WA Grain Industry Association barley council warning that "there is at least a two year lag between accreditation and market acceptance" of new varieties.

"Growers should be very cautious in adopting any new malting variety until there are clear market signals," it said.

Australia produces about 8 million tonnes of barley each year.

10 January, 2014