Australia: New barley variety Alestar could offer good option for growers and maltsters in coming years

A new barley designed for the malting market could offer a good option for Australian growers in coming years, Weekly Times Now reported on February 21.

Alestar, a barley variety which will be bulked up this year and be released extensively next year, has yield benefits over current varieties and is less likely to fall over, or lodge, than some other varieties.

That’s according to Elders seed manager Chris Willis.

Elders is marketing the new variety that, Mr Willis said, would be submitted to Barley Australia’s malting accreditation process next year, which is recognised as the required standard to determine which new barley varieties can be used for malting.

“We plan to put Alestar into the malting process. We are doing samples with the malting companies, and we aim to enter this in the barley malting accreditation process next year,” he said.

Mr Willis said in National Variety Trials and also their own company trials Alestar performed well, despite the dry season last year.

“It went well in the high rainfall region, the line has been tested for three to four years in that area,” he said.

“It was also tested in Elmore, where it was a bit drier and had a tough year and it yielded well.”

He said trials had indicated Alestar was a good replacement for current malting varieties Gairdner and Westminster and had yield benefits over both.

Mr Willis said the variety has better tolerance to the problem of lodging.

“There has been a lot of issue with barley lodging, which has been a big issue with (barley varieties) compass and commander,” Mr Willis said.

“When the plant falls on the ground, growers can have problems trying to harvest it.

“Alestar has ... good straw strength.”

Other advantages included good resistance to diseases such as leaf rust and scald.

24 February, 2016