CDC Freedom, a two-rowed hulless barley variety developed at the Crop Development Centre, was registered for sale in Canada in May, 1998. CDC Freedom’s main advantage over other recent CDC hulless varieties is that it has much better threshability at harvest. In addition it has improved net blotch and smut resistance, especially to the surface borne smuts which can be a serious problem in hulless barley. Like CDC Dawn (1995) and CDC Gainer (1997), CDC Freedom carries the Rpg1 (t-gene) for stem rust resistance, but is susceptible to scald, making it best adapted to the eastern portion of the prairie region. It is a tall but rather strong strawed variety and has larger grain size than other registered hulless barley varieties.

CDC Freedom was tested as SB93877 and as HB329 and is from the cross AC Oxbow/SB88579, where SB88579 is a hulless CDC breeding line. CDC Freedom has been released exclusively to Secan for Pedigreed seed production and marketing. Certified seed should be available by the spring of 2000.