| | It is well established that environmental factors can have a major effect upon the physiological and biochemical properties of barley seed grown in different locations, or in different crop years. Varietal differences also exist, and variable responses to malting regimes can be expected. Within the past decade, a portfolio of barley varieties have been developed for western Canada, and the varieties possess varying malt quality characteristics. This portfolio of different varieties facilitates selection for regional agronomic and disease resistance suitability, ensures barley genetic diversity to cope with variable and adverse meteorological conditions, while also providing barley with different malt quality profiles to meet differing market demands. This presentation compares the malt quality profiles of "selected barley" composites of the varieties Harrington, AC Metcalfe, CDC Kendall, and Excel from different crop production years. The samples have been malted under substantially different malting regimes, which were designed to address the varying processing characteristics of the samples. These differing characteristics were the result of the specific growing conditions of the different seasons. The varieties under investigation were obtained from commercial sources as part of the Grain Research Laboratory’s annual harvest survey of malting barley. Composites received were further bulk composited to represent the entire quantity of each specific variety received from a specific crop year. The malt analysis results illustrate significant differences in modification rate, protein modification, and enzyme development as a result of interaction between barley variety, growing season, and malt processing regime.
D.E. Langrell and M.J. Edney
Grain Research Laboratory, Canadian Grain Commission, 1404-303 Main Street, Winnipeg, MB R3C 3G8
Presented at the 3rd Canadian Barley Symposium, June 19-20, 2003 |
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