01/04/07 Sublette malting barley in final tests

Farm and Ranch January 4, 2006 A new barley bred by Agricultural Research Service plant geneticists in Aberdeen, Idaho and their University of Idaho colleagues could provide benefits for both producers and maltsters. Donald Obert, plant geneticist with the ARS's Small Grains and Potato Germplasm Unit in Aberdeen, says the barley is named Sublette after the early explorer of the American West William L. Sublette. As for this two-rowed spring barley's characteristics: Obert: "Better agronomically and so it is more profitable for the farmer. And it also just has several properties that hopefully make it better in the malting and brewing industry in that the amount of malt that can be extracted to Harrington is a little higher." The variety Harrington being the standard against which all newcomer malting barleys are compared. Obert says Sublette has a higher percentage of plump kernels, the kind maltsters prize and it germinates quickly which is critical in the malting process. Besides the potential of higher yields, another benefit to growers from Sublette would be its resistance to lodging. Obert: "Sublette is nice in the sense that it resists lodging better than Harrington and I really think we can probably avoid spraying this growth inhibitor on there which is going to save the producer money." Sublette has been put through about a decade of testing and is in the final stages of intensive, industry led brewery tests to determine if it will win the all-important approval of the American Malting Barley Association. I'm Bob Hoff and that's the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report on the Northwest Ag Information Network.