Canada: CMBTC issues list of recommended malting barley varieties

The Canadian Malting Barley Technical Centre (CMBTC) has issued its list of recommended malting barley varieties for the 2020-21 marketing year. The list contains varieties that hold the most promise for producers in terms of performance, quality and marketability. All varieties on the 2020-21 Recommended Malting Barley Variety List have been pilot scale tested by the CMBTC and exhibit good malting and brewing characteristics.

In addition to established varieties such as CDC Copeland, AC Metcalfe and AAC Synergy, Canada has a promising suite of new varieties under market development with excellent malting and brewing characteristics as well as improved agronomic and disease packages. Up-and-coming varieties such as CDC Bow, AAC Connect and CDC Fraser are among the next generation of high-quality performers and will be available in commercial quantities in 2020.

“We are at a crossroads with respect to malting barley varieties in Canada. After nearly 20 years as the dominant variety, AC Metcalfe production has dropped considerably over the past three years. It’s a marvelous variety that has served customers of Canadian barley well, however our new varieties have excellent malting and brewing quality characteristics, and exhibit significantly improved field performance, including higher yields and better resistance to lodging,” says Peter Watts, Managing Director at the CMBTC.

“The domestic malting industry in Canada has been testing these new varieties over the past two to three years with positive results, while the CMBTC has been working with international customers, particularly in China, to undertake production trials on location to gain acceptance,” says Watts.

The CMBTC recommended list is designed to assist producers in choosing malting varieties with the greatest potential to be selected for malt. The CMBTC advises producers to talk to their local elevators, malting companies or grain buyers about which varieties to grow in their region and encourages farmers to have a production contract.

06 December, 2019