Production. A 10% drop in Utah's 1998 harvested barley acreage compared to the previous year, and a one-bushel per acre lower average yield resulted in the smallest total production in many years.

A very wet spring that made planting difficult was at least partially responsible for the small planted acreage and the lower yield. Depressed barley prices have also discouraged production.

Losses from diseases were generally minor. Infestations of the cereal leaf beetle, the Russian wheat aphid, and grasshoppers were spotty. Isolated outbreaks of barley stripe rust were observed, but most occurred late enough that damage was minimal.

Breeding Program. The development of shorter-stature, strong-strawed spring feed barleys for production under high-yielding irrigated conditions continue to be the major thrust of our breeding program. We are increasing our efforts on winter barley.

Cultivars. Two of our recently released cultivars ('Century' and 'Statehood') are increasing in acreage. Statehood appears to be gaining most interest of the two, likely due to its shorter and stronger straw and superior loose smut resistance. Both produce excellent yields of high protein grain.

Registered seed of 'Brigham' (UT002120) was produced in 1998. Its moderately short, stiff straw appears to make it particularly well suited for high-yielding irrigated production under wheel line sprinkler systems.

Breeder seed of another moderately short, very strong-strawed breeding line (UT004603) was produced in 1998. It has now been approved for release and has been named 'Millennium.' Foundation seed is being produced in 1999. Millennium has had the highest average yield in Utah irrigated test plots all three years (1996-98, 12 station years) in which it has been tested. Its yield (7567 kg ha-1) exceeded that of Steptoe, Century, Statehood, Brigham, Rollo, and Walker by 13, 4, 5, 8, 9, and 12%, respectively, in Utah irrigated tests. Millennium was tested in the Western Regional Spring Barley Nursery grown at 12 locations in 1997 and 11 locations in 1998. It ranked second in yield in 1997 (among 32 entries) and first in 1998 (among 30 entries), averaged over all locations. Its yield (5960 kg ha-1) exceeded that of Steptoe (5253 kg ha-1) by 13.5% averaged over all locations for the two years. Millennium is shorter than Steptoe, Century, Rollo, and Walker; it is slightly taller than Brigham and equal to Statehood. It has excellent straw strength. In Utah irrigated tests over three years, Millennium averaged 2% lodging, compared to 54, 4, 19, 15, 35 and 14% for Steptoe, Brigham, Century, Statehood, Rollo, and Walker, respectively.

Preliminary tests show Millennium to have moderate resistance to barley stripe rust.