Malting Barley Variety Trial 2018 Results
Malting Barley Variety Trial 2018 Results (PDF)
Ellen Mallory and Tom Molloy, University of Maine Cooperative Extension
Twenty-eight varieties of two- and six-row spring malting barley were trialed at two locations in Maine in 2018 (Table 1). The trials were conducted in collaboration with 9 other institutions as part of the Eastern Spring Barley Nursery project (ESBN), organized by North Dakota State University and funded by the Brewers Association. This is the fourth year of these malt barley variety trials.
Table 1. Spring malting varieties evaluated in Old Town and Westfield, Maine in 2018.
| Variety |
Type |
Years in
ME Trials |
Developer |
| AAC Synergy |
2-row |
4 |
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (Brandon) |
| Accordine |
2-row |
1 |
Ackermann (Germany) |
| Conlon |
2-row |
4 |
North Dakota State University |
| AAC Connect |
2-row |
1 |
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (Brandon) |
| Crescendo |
2-row |
1 |
Secobra (France) |
| Eifel |
2-row |
1 |
Secobra (France) |
| Esma |
2-row |
2 |
Ackermann (Germany) |
| Expo |
2-row |
1 |
Secobra (France) |
| KWS Beckie |
2-row |
3 |
KWS (Germany) |
| KWS Fantex |
2-row |
3 |
KWS (Germany) |
| KWS Tinka |
2-row |
2 |
KWS (Germany) |
| LCS Genie |
2-row |
3 |
Limagrain Cereal Seeds |
| LCS Odyssey |
2-row |
3 |
Limagrain Cereal Seeds |
| ND Genesis |
2-row |
4 |
North Dakota State University |
| Newdale |
2-row |
4 |
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (Brandon) |
| Pinnacle |
2-row |
4 |
North Dakota State University |
| Quest |
6-row |
4 |
University of Minnesota |
| Robust |
6-row |
3 |
University of Minnesota |
| Sangria |
2-row |
2 |
Ackermann (Germany) |
| Tradition |
6-row |
4 |
Busch Agricultural Resources, LLC |
| 2ND28065 |
2-row |
3 |
North Dakota State University experimental line |
| 2ND32529 |
2-row |
1 |
North Dakota State University experimental line |
| 2ND33757 |
2-row |
2 |
North Dakota State University experimental line |
| 2ND33760 |
2-row |
2 |
North Dakota State University experimental line |
| 2ND33821 |
2-row |
2 |
North Dakota State University experimental line |
| 2ND34954 |
2-row |
1 |
North Dakota State University experimental line |
| 2ND34999 |
2-row |
1 |
North Dakota State University experimental line |
| 2ND35001 |
2-row |
1 |
North Dakota State University experimental line |
METHODS
The trials were conducted at the University of Maine Rogers Research Farm, in Old Town, and a commercial farm in Westfield. Agronomic practices for both locations are described in Table 2. Agronomic and basic grain quality data were collected by the University of Maine and grain samples were submitted to North Dakota State University for comprehensive grain and malt quality analysis.
Table 2. Agronomic practices in Old Town and Westfield, Maine in 2018.
|
Old Town |
Westfield |
| Previous Crop |
Oat cover crop |
Broccoli |
| Soil Type |
Nicholville very fine sandy loam |
Caribou gravely loam |
| pH |
6.2 |
6.2 |
| Pre-plant Fertility |
23 tons/acre solid dairy manure (approx. 70 units of N per acre) |
None |
| Topdress Nitrogen |
July 1, 15 units of N as chilean nitrate |
May 28, 75 units of N applied as UAN |
| Planting Date, Rate |
May 2, 1.3 million live seeds/acre |
May 16, 1.3 million live seeds/acre |
| Weed Control |
NA |
June 2, MCPA Rhomene – 1 pt/acre & Harmony – 3/4 oz/acre |
| Fungicide |
NA |
July 5, Prosaro – 6.5 oz/acre |
| Harvest Date |
July 31 |
August 16 |
RESULTS
Conditions were very dry in May during emergence and early crop growth, with Old Town and Westfield receiving only 1.2” and 1.9” of rain, respectively (Table 4). Dry conditions persisted throughout the growing season at both locations, however Westfield wasn’t as severe as Old Town. Symptoms of drought stress were observed in the form of delayed and variable emergence, yellowing of leaves and incomplete spike emergence. Incomplete spike emergence is a stress related condition in barley where the spike stops emerging from the stalk at or below the flag leaf. This condition was visually ranked. All varieties at both locations showed this symptom to a varying degree with the exception of Pinnacle and Robust at the Old Town site (Table 3).
Grain yield was lower on average at Old Town (72 bu/acre) versus Westfield (93 bu/acre) (Table 3). There were no significant differences in yield among the varieties in Old Town. In Westfield, Esma yielded the highest (106 bu/acre). Foliar diseases, measured at the Old Town location only, were moderate to low likely due to the dry conditions. Pinnacle, a variety that is highly susceptible to foliar diseases had a ranking of only 4 (Table 3). Grain moisture was measured at harvest and averaged 14.9% at Old Town and 20.8% at Westfield. ND Genesis had the highest grain moisture at Old Town (16.1%) and the experimental variety 2ND33821 was the highest at Westfield at 23.6%. Limited grain quality data is available at this point and is summarized in Table 5. Many varieties had germination energy levels below 95% with site averages of 91% at Old Town and 89% at Westfield.
Table 3. Agronomic characteristics of malting barley varieties grown in Old Town and Westfield in 2018.
|
Yield†
(bu/acre) |
Grain Moisture at Harvest‡
(%) |
Foliar Disease Severity
(1 – 9) § |
Spike Emergence#
(1-5) |
Stem Breakage
(1 – 9) § |
Heading date
(days after 5/31) |
| Variety |
Old Town |
Westfield |
Old Town |
Westfield |
Old Town |
Westfield ≠ |
Old Town |
Westfield |
Old Town |
Westfield |
Old Town |
Westfield ≠ |
| AAC Synergy |
80 |
101 |
14.7 |
20.5 |
1.3 |
– |
3.7 |
2.7 |
1.3 |
2.3 |
23 |
– |
| Accordine |
87 |
95 |
14.5 |
21.3 |
1.3 |
– |
4.0 |
2.7 |
2.3 |
1.3 |
24 |
– |
| Conlon |
63 |
74 |
14.9 |
18.6 |
1.3 |
– |
4.0 |
1.0 |
2.3 |
3.3 |
20 |
– |
| ACC Connect |
– |
81 |
– |
20.1 |
– |
– |
– |
2.3 |
– |
1.7 |
– |
– |
| Crescendo |
79 |
102 |
14.7 |
19.9 |
2.0 |
– |
4.3 |
2.3 |
1.7 |
1.0 |
25 |
– |
| Eifel |
61 |
99 |
15.7 |
20.3 |
2.0 |
– |
2.3 |
3.0 |
2.3 |
1.7 |
26 |
– |
| Esma |
72 |
106 |
15.3 |
21.4 |
1.0 |
– |
2.7 |
3.0 |
2.0 |
1.7 |
22 |
– |
| Expo |
83 |
90 |
14.0 |
21.8 |
2.0 |
– |
2.0 |
3.0 |
2.0 |
2.0 |
25 |
– |
| KWS Beckie |
75 |
93 |
13.7 |
22.5 |
1.7 |
– |
2.3 |
2.3 |
2.0 |
1.7 |
26 |
– |
| KWS Fantex |
84 |
100 |
15.2 |
20.9 |
1.0 |
– |
2.7 |
2.7 |
1.3 |
1.0 |
27 |
– |
| KWS Tinka |
78 |
93 |
14.7 |
22.2 |
1.3 |
– |
3.7 |
2.7 |
1.3 |
1.3 |
23 |
– |
| LCS Genie |
72 |
90 |
14.6 |
21.7 |
1.3 |
– |
4.0 |
3.0 |
1.3 |
1.7 |
26 |
– |
| LCS Odyssey |
77 |
104 |
14.0 |
21.0 |
1.7 |
– |
3.7 |
3.0 |
2.0 |
1.7 |
26 |
– |
| ND Genesis |
71 |
85 |
16.1 |
22.4 |
1.7 |
– |
3.3 |
1.7 |
1.7 |
1.3 |
21 |
– |
| Newdale |
85 |
91 |
13.8 |
19.7 |
1.3 |
– |
3.3 |
2.3 |
1.7 |
1.7 |
23 |
– |
| Pinnacle |
69 |
81 |
15.1 |
23.3 |
4.0 |
– |
5.0 |
1.0 |
1.7 |
1.0 |
21 |
– |
| Quest |
72 |
76 |
13.3 |
18.2 |
1.3 |
– |
4.7 |
1.0 |
1.3 |
3.0 |
21 |
– |
| Robust |
57 |
85 |
15.0 |
19.3 |
1.7 |
– |
5.0 |
1.0 |
1.0 |
3.7 |
21 |
– |
| Sangria |
62 |
101 |
15.2 |
21.5 |
2.0 |
– |
3.7 |
2.3 |
2.0 |
2.0 |
23 |
– |
| Tradition |
62 |
82 |
12.5 |
18.0 |
1.7 |
– |
4.3 |
1.0 |
1.0 |
1.0 |
19 |
– |
| 2ND28065 |
78 |
83 |
15.0 |
20.5 |
2.0 |
– |
3.7 |
3.0 |
2.0 |
1.3 |
22 |
– |
| 2ND32529 |
68 |
100 |
15.9 |
23.0 |
1.3 |
– |
4.0 |
2.0 |
1.0 |
1.7 |
21 |
– |
| 2ND33757 |
77 |
92 |
14.9 |
20.7 |
1.0 |
– |
3.7 |
2.3 |
1.3 |
1.7 |
21 |
– |
| 2ND33760 |
62 |
92 |
15.4 |
20.3 |
2.0 |
– |
2.3 |
2.0 |
2.3 |
1.0 |
22 |
– |
| 2ND33821 |
68 |
85 |
15.9 |
23.6 |
1.3 |
– |
4.3 |
1.3 |
1.0 |
1.3 |
20 |
– |
| 2ND34954 |
61 |
91 |
15.8 |
19.8 |
1.7 |
– |
3.0 |
1.7 |
1.3 |
2.0 |
22 |
– |
| 2ND34999 |
64 |
97 |
15.8 |
20.0 |
1.7 |
– |
3.7 |
2.0 |
2.3 |
1.3 |
21 |
– |
| 2ND35001 |
66 |
97 |
15.3 |
20.0 |
1.7 |
– |
4.3 |
2.0 |
1.7 |
1.7 |
23 |
– |
| Site average |
72 |
92 |
14.9 |
20.8 |
1.6 |
– |
3.6 |
2.1 |
1.7 |
1.8 |
23 |
– |
| LSD (0.05) |
NS |
14.3 |
1.6 |
1.8 |
1.2 |
– |
1.1 |
1.1 |
NS |
1.0 |
– |
– |
| CV% |
20.2 |
13.3 |
7.9 |
8.2 |
49.4 |
– |
27.5 |
41.7 |
42.9 |
49.0 |
– |
– |
† Yield is reported at 13.5% moisture.
‡ Measured at time of harvest.
§ Scored visually using a scale from 1 = none to 9 = high. Stem breakage was scored at harvest.
# Scored visually using a scale from 1 = 0% emerged to 5 = 100% emerged.
≠ Data not collected at this location.
Table 4. Rainfall totals in Old Town and Presque Isle in 2018.
|
Total Rainfall (inches) |
|
Old Town |
Presque Isle† |
| Month |
2018 |
30-yr avg. |
2018 |
30-yr avg. |
| April |
3.1 |
3.8 |
3.9 |
2.5 |
| May |
1.2 |
3.8 |
1.9 |
3.4 |
| June |
3.1 |
4.1 |
3.0 |
3.4 |
| July |
2.0 |
3.6 |
2.6 |
3.7 |
| August |
1.8 |
3.3 |
3.3 |
3.7 |
| Total |
11.1 |
18.6 |
14.6 |
16.7 |
† The weather station in Presque Isle is approximately 8 miles from the Westfield site.
Table 5. Grain quality characteristics of malting barley varieties, 2018.
|
Test Wt. (lbs/bu) |
TKW† (g) |
Germ. Energy‡ (%) |
| Variety |
Old Town |
Westfield |
Old Town |
Westfield |
Old Town |
Westfield |
| AAC Synergy |
48 |
48 |
47 |
45 |
93 |
90 |
| Accordine |
48 |
48 |
47 |
43 |
80 |
90 |
| Conlon |
48 |
48 |
51 |
48 |
92 |
95 |
| ACC Connect |
– |
45 |
– |
43 |
– |
81 |
| Crescendo |
47 |
46 |
47 |
48 |
89 |
96 |
| Eifel |
46 |
47 |
49 |
48 |
93 |
97 |
| Esma |
48 |
47 |
51 |
46 |
93 |
95 |
| Expo |
49 |
49 |
49 |
50 |
95 |
91 |
| KWS Beckie |
44 |
45 |
43 |
46 |
91 |
95 |
| KWS Fantex |
47 |
46 |
44 |
41 |
93 |
93 |
| KWS Tinka |
47 |
46 |
49 |
45 |
90 |
91 |
| LCS Genie |
49 |
49 |
46 |
46 |
91 |
92 |
| LCS Odyssey |
48 |
47 |
45 |
45 |
90 |
93 |
| ND Genesis |
48 |
48 |
48 |
46 |
88 |
89 |
| Newdale |
49 |
47 |
45 |
40 |
97 |
91 |
| Pinnacle |
48 |
45 |
49 |
46 |
80 |
49 |
| Quest |
48 |
47 |
40 |
38 |
98 |
96 |
| Robust |
48 |
48 |
40 |
40 |
95 |
99 |
| Sangria |
48 |
49 |
44 |
45 |
91 |
94 |
| Tradition |
48 |
47 |
40 |
39 |
97 |
94 |
| 2ND28065 |
50 |
49 |
47 |
42 |
97 |
96 |
| 2ND32529 |
47 |
44 |
48 |
46 |
81 |
54 |
| 2ND33757 |
50 |
49 |
52 |
49 |
95 |
94 |
| 2ND33760 |
49 |
49 |
50 |
47 |
93 |
97 |
| 2ND33821 |
45 |
43 |
52 |
46 |
76 |
53 |
| 2ND34954 |
47 |
47 |
50 |
49 |
86 |
86 |
| 2ND34999 |
49 |
49 |
48 |
46 |
97 |
96 |
| 2ND35001 |
49 |
49 |
48 |
45 |
96 |
95 |
| Site average |
48 |
47 |
47 |
45 |
91 |
89 |
| LSD (0.05) |
1.6 |
1.4 |
2 |
2.5 |
5.1 |
10.6 |
| CV% |
3.3 |
3.7 |
8 |
8.2 |
6.9 |
16.1 |
† Thousand kernel weight.
‡ Germination energy is the percentage of kernels that germinate over 3 days under controlled moisture and temperature conditions. >95% is considered acceptable.
Updated February, 2019
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