Barley is the second most significant grain crop grown in Alberta. According to the Statistics Canada 1997 survey, there were 2,267,000 ha (5,600,000 acres) seeded to this crop. The area harvested was 2,065,000 ha (5,100,000 acres). The estimated mean yield for Alberta was 3099 kg/ha (57.5 bu/acre). Drought stress in the south and east areas of the province during July and early August affected yield. Harrington and AC Lacombe were again the predominant varieties. There was a growing demand for Kasota, an early maturing, six-row, semi-dwarf, feed cultivar, developed by the Barley Development Group. From 1995 to 1997 there has been a relative increase of about 10 percent in the land sown to feed varieties over malting, reflecting the higher yield of the feed varieties and increased demand by our expanding livestock industry.

Breeding Program

"Tercel" a two-row hulless feed barley was released by the Barley Development Group. Seed of this new variety will be available in the spring of 1998.

The Field Crop Development Centre at Lacombe will have a new growth facility ready for use by the spring of 1998. The construction began in fall of 1997. The Alberta Barley Commission will pick up one-third of the construction costs of the $ 1.5 million project. Scientists will utilize these facilities for breeding and disease screening purposes.

As a part of the breeding program, eighteen barley lines (two and six-rowed, hulless, feed, and malting types) were tested in the 1997 Western Cooperative Barley Registration Tests.

The Single Seed Descent Procedure has been used now for five years to speed up development of our two-row malting barleys. We began a breeding program for two-row malting barley in 1992.

During 1997, about 500 barley cultivars were introduced from CIMMYT and other breeding institutions. These lines were evaluated and screened in the field for desirable traits.

Disease

About 2000 advanced lines were evaluated in inoculated tests for reaction to loose smut [caused by Ustilago tritici (Pers,) Rostr.; syn U. nuda (Jens.) Rostr.] , net blotch (caused by Pyrenophora teres Drechs.), and scald [caused by Rhynchosporium secalis (Ouden.) J.J Davis.

Industry services

The Cereal and Oilseed Unit (AAFRD) along with Progressive Seeds Ltd., sponsored a seminar series across western Canada to promote the production and use of hulless barley. The interest in this type of barley continues to grow, due to its higher energy and digestible protein for livestock production.

AAFRD hosted visitors from Mongolia, Russia, USA, and Germany as well as scientists and farmers from Alberta and other provinces of Canada.

The barley crop information for Alberta is now on the Internet site "Ropin the Web" at http//www.agric.gov.ab.ca.