Grainswest - Winter 2019

Winter 2019 grainswest.com 23 IELD AND QUALITY ARE NOT EVERYTHING TO farmers; they’re the only things. In agriculture, success is measured by numbers, and the statistics for barley yield in recent years do not tell a winning tale. The average yield in Western Canada in 2017 was 64 bushels per acre, compared to 74 bu/ac and 65 bu/ac in 2016 and 2015 respectively. Not surprisingly, barley seeded acres and production in Western Canada also dropped over that period. “Farmers are businesspeople, so their crop decisions are based on profit margins and return on investment,” said David Simbo, research program manager for Alberta Barley and the Alberta Wheat Commission. “In most years, malt barley sells for a higher price than feed barley, but the specifications to obtain malting barley are quite stringent.” One of the main specifications for consideration for malt barley is that it should have no more than 12.5 per cent protein. Barley breeders tend to concentrate on breeding malting barley varieties. Lines that fail to meet the specifications for malting barley are bred as feed barley. In the process, selecting genes that contribute to good malt quality may be leaving out genes that contribute to higher yield. “When growing barley for feed, farmers can put in more nitrogen, so feed barley tends to have higher yields than malt barley,” said Simbo. “Since most farmers opt to grow malt barley for the higher price, overall yield suffers.” As well, because barley tends to have higher rates of lodging compared to similar crops such as wheat, it’s more likely to present a challenge at harvest. The fact that alcohol production is the main use for malt barley is also a factor hampering yield. “In brewing, the malt variety used may influence the flavour of the end product,” said Simbo. “If a customer’s favourite beer tastes differently than what they’re used to, they won’t be happy. Malting companies are conscious of that, so they focus on ensuring that their beer tastes the same year in and year out.” That focus on consistency can slow uptake of new varieties, and if the malting companies aren’t buying them, farmers aren’t growing them. Absent the demand, fewer resources are devoted to new barley varieties versus other crops, lowering the odds that higher-yielding options will appear on the horizon. Still, breeding may offer the best hope for boosting barley numbers. In Western Canada, breeding for yield, good end- use quality, lodging and disease resistance is ongoing in all existing breeding programs, but it’s a long-term solution rather than a quick fix. “It takes an average of eight to 10 years to breed one variety,” said Simbo. “A breeder may start with 50,000 plants after the first cross and keep selecting the best plants for yield, standability and disease resistance, continuing to select down to get the desired specifications.” Besides breeding, there are agronomic trials conducted to identify management practices that could improve yield. “Genetics, environment and management all play a part in the end result; optimizing all three will give you the maximum yield,” Simbo concluded. “Since most farmers opt to grow malt barley for the higher price, overall yield suffers.” —David Simbo Alberta Barley and its industr y partners have developed Getting to Growth, A Western Canadian Barley Action Plan . Among its objectives is pushing average barley yield to 95 bu/ac.