According to a recent study by the Canadian Malting Barley Technical Centre (CMBTC), in collaboration with Manitoba Crop Alliance (MCA), new Canadian malting barley varieties can be grown successfully in Manitoba.
With comparable yields and quality to the check variety, AAC Synergy, new varieties like AAC Connect, CDC Fraser, CDC Copper, CDC Churchill and AAC Prairie are the next generation of high quality malt varieties for producers.
“The study showed that these new varieties offer good agronomics and the high end-use quality traits that are the hallmark of Canadian malting barley,” says Peter Watts, Managing Director at the CMBTC.
In the past, producers in Manitoba struggled with diseases like fusarium head blight in malting barley. Thanks to new varieties that boast improved disease packages, along with better fungicide products and improved management practices, fusarium has not been a significant issue in recent years.
Producers growing malting barley varieties have the option of both malting and feed markets. With a malt barley variety, farmers gain an additional 2.5 million tonne market that they could not access with feed varieties. As well, malt barley generally offers a premium of around $1 per bushel or more.
“Manitoba is one of the best barley producing regions in the world,” says Pam de Rocquigny, CEO of MCA. “This success can be attributed to climate and geography, and our advanced farming practices.”
Barley is a good cereals crop option, as it provides many benefits when included in crop rotations. Barley can be planted early in the growing season and is both competitive and high yielding. Furthermore, including barley in crop rotations can provide flexibility during harvest, as it matures early, allowing harvest to be spread out between crop types. “In combination, these attributes make barley a great option for farmers,” says de Rocquigny.
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