Development of Winter Malting Barley Germplasm

D.M. Wesenberg, D.E. Burrup, B.L. Jones, P.M. Hayes, and A.D. Budde
USDA-ARS
National Small Grains Germplasm Research Facility
Aberdeen, ID
USDA-ARS
Cereal Crops Research Unit
Madison, WI
Oregon State University
Corvallis, OR

The USDA-ARS winter barley breeding program at Aberdeen, Idaho has produced both six-rowed and two-rowed selections with promising malting quality characteristics that may have the potential to compete with existing spring malting barley varieties in selected environments in the western United States and other regions. One of the most promising six-rowed winter selections is 88Ab536-B from a cross of NE 76129/Morex//Morex. The selection 88Ab536-B has been evaluated in American Malting Barley Association sponsored evaluations of malting and brewing quality and appears to have malting quality characteristics similar to the recurrent parent Morex. Grain harvested from over 100 acres of 88Ab536-B planted in the fall of 1997 and harvested in 1998 is being evaluated for malting and brewing quality. Additional acreage has been planted for harvest in 1999. Other six-rowed winter barleys such as 92Ab1308 (79Ab135/Morex) and 94Ab1650 (79Ab66/84Ab897) are of interest, possessing improved kernel plumpness as well as higher malt extract and higher grain yield in comparison with 88Ab536-B. The selection 94Ab1650, for example, averaged 174.0 bu/A at Aberdeen in 1997-98 vs. 139.6 bu/A for 88Ab536-B. Additional winter barley selections of interest include several two-rowed winter barleys with promising yield and malting quality characteristics. Two-rowed winter barleys prominent in the program include 85Ab216 (76Ab5988/WA 1925-75//78Ab10264), 86Ab1034 (76Ab5988/WA 1925-75//78Ab10264), 92Ab827 (MT81616/81Ab1702), 94Ab1269 (MT81616/81Ab1702), 94Ab1274 (MT 81616/81Ab1702), 94Ab1347 (ORWM 8406/Harrington), 94Ab1386 (84Ab510/Lewis), and 95Ab2299 (ORWM 8406/Harrington). Six of these elite six-rowed and two-rowed winter barley selections, 85Ab216, 94Ab1274, 95Ab2299, 88Ab536-B, 92Ab1308, and 92Ab1841 (88Ab536 Reselection), were planted in drill strips in the fall of 1998 for possible pilot-scale consideration in 1999. Agronomic and malting quality data for certain of these winter barleys are summarized below.

Malting quality data* for selected six-rowed winter barleys grown under irrigation at Aberdeen, Idaho, 1996-97 and 1997-98.

Entry Plump Barley (%) Malt Extract (%) Barley Protein (%) Wort Protein (%) S/T (%) DP (ASBC) Alpha Amylase (20 DU) Beta-Glucan (ppm)

88Ab536-B

78 78.2 12.3 4.84 39.6 160 45.6 197

92Ab1308

81 78.7 10.2 4.13 42.2 106 41.8 327

94Ab1650

81 79.6 11.5 4.99 43.0 137 55.2 336

Plaisant

90 76.8 12.0 3.50 29.2 105 33.5 478

Malting quality data courtesy of USDA-ARS Cereal Crops Research Unit, Madison, Wisconsin.

Summary of agronomic data for 88Ab536 and selected six-rowed winter barley varieties grown under irrigation at Aberdeen, Idaho, 1989-90, 1991-92, 1992-93, 1993-94, 1995-96, 1996-97, and 1997-98.

Entry Yield (bu/A) Test Weight (lbs/bu) Height (in) Heading Date (Julian) Lodging (%)

No. Trials

7 7 7 7 6

88Ab536

154.0 51.9 38 143 2

Eight-Twelve

193.7 51.5 33 149 2

Schuyler

172.0 50.6 36 153 4

Morex*

128.1 51.5 41 171 32

Spring trials for 1990, 1992-94, and 1996-98.

Malting quality data* for selected two-rowed winter barleys grown under irrigation at Aberdeen, Idaho, 1996-97 and 1997-98. (Trial C).

Entry Plump Barley (%) Malt Extract (%) Barley Protein (%) Wort Protein (%) S/T (%) DP (ASBC) Alpha Amylase (20 DU) Beta-Glucan (ppm)

85Ab216

96 79.9 12.9 4.71 37.2 166 46.5 50

86Ab1034

93 78.1 13.6 4.57 34.5 132 45.2 324

92Ab827

96 78.7 13.5 5.07 38.2 136 54.8 376

94Ab1269

98 79.5 13.2 5.34 39.4 147 58.6 236

94Ab1386

97 79.5 13.2 5.77 43.8 190 61.3 166

95Ab2299

92 80.3 12.7 5.36 43.1 156 65.3 112

Fanfair

94 77.6 14.5 4.19 28.9 98 32.3 191

Malting quality data courtesy of USDA-ARS Cereal Crops Research Unit, Madison, Wisconsin.

Summary of agronomic data for two-rowed winter selections and six-rowed check varieties grown under irrigation at Aberdeen, Idaho, 1996-97 and 1997-98.

`
Entry Yield (bu/A) Test Weight (lbs/bu) Height (in) Heading Date (Julian) Lodging (%)

No. Trials

2 2 2 2 2

85Ab216

170.1 54.2 38 153 14

86Ab1034

171.5 53.8 41 150 6

92Ab827

164.3 53.2 35 147 3

94Ab1269

169.1 51.4 32 148 3

94Ab1386

154.5 53.2 40 151 13

95Ab2299

172.5 54.0 38 150 5

Fanfair

167.9 54.5 38 151 5

Schuyler*

177.1 51.1 39 151 6

Eight-Twelve*

196.0 50.8 34 145 3

*Six-rowed winter barley.

The 1996-97 and 1997-98 winter barley trials at Aberdeen also included a series of 200 entries in a study of malting quality and agronomic performance of "88Ab536 sib crosses", intended to produce new selections with improved malting quality relative to 88Ab536-B. The 200 entries in the study included both pedigree-derived selections and double-haploid-derived selections. (The double-haploid selections were produced at Oregon State University from crosses made by ARS at Aberdeen, Idaho.) The double-haploid selections were subject to selection pressure in early stages of development, in a manner similar to the pedigree-derived selections. In replicated trials in 1997-98, 42 double-haploid-derived selections averaged 126.5 bu/A in yield vs. 127.5 bu/A for 120 pedigree-derived selections. The five parents averaged from 106.8 bu/A (88Ab535) to 123.2 bu/A (88Ab536). Heading, height, and test weight averages were also similar for the two selection groups. The highest yielding double-haploid-derived selection averaged 158.7 bu/A and the highest yielding pedigree-derived selection averaged 166.3 bu/A. Malting quality data for the five parental lines in this series and selected sib selections are summarized below.

Malting quality data* for winter barley parental selections utilized in a series of sib crosses grown under irrigation at Aberdeen, Idaho, 1997-98
Entry Plump Barley (%) Malt Extract (%) Barley Protein (%) Wort Protein (%) S/T (%) DP (ASBC) Alpha Amylase (20 DU) Beta-Glucan (ppm)

88Ab535

53 78.1 11.9 5.16 44.8 162 54.5 90

88Ab536

57 78.2 12.0 5.05 43.7 162 53.8 98

88Ab537

59 77.8 12.3 5.31 44.8 165 55.9 107

88Ab538

61 78.4 12.2 5.39 45.8 180 60.3 81

88Ab539

62 78.0 12.0 5.38 46.2 157 58.6 114

Malting quality data courtesy of USDA-ARS Cereal Crops Research Unit, Madison, Wisconsin. Averages for multiple replicates: five for 88Ab535, eight for 88Ab536, five for 88Ab537, four for 88Ab538, and six for 88Ab539.

Malting quality data* for selected winter barley selections derived from sib crosses grown under irrigation at Aberdeen, Idaho, 1997-98.

Entry Plump Barley (%) Malt Extract (%) Barley Protein (%) Wort Protein (%) S/T (%) DP (ASBC) Alpha Amylase (20 DU) Beta-Glucan (ppm)

95Ab835

66 79.3 11.2 5.11 45.4 152 59.4 67

95Ab872

66 79.0 12.9 5.29 42.1 189 61.9 85

95Ab1036

76 78.9 11.5 5.10 45.0 148 59.9 118

95Ab1106

57 79.8 11.9 4.92 42.9 161 55.8 98

95Ab1253

72 78.7 10.8 5.08 47.9 145 59.2 63

95Ab1482

58 78.5 12.4 5.20 41.8 223 48.6 104

95Ab1596

74 79.0 12.1 5.40 45.8 163 59.7 168

95Ab1621

51 81.3 11.9 5.52 44.9 176 63.2 29

95Ab3036+

59 80.8 11.7 5.12 44.5 166 49.2 56

95Ab3077+

68 79.0 12.8 5.28 42.9 216 50.3 95

95Ab3085+

75 78.4 11.8 5.58 49.8 149 58.2 101

*Malting quality data courtesy of USDA-ARS Cereal Crops Research Unit, Madison, Wisconsin. +Double-haploid selection; all other selections are pedigree-derived.