Latest 'dual-purpose' malting barleys provide a welcome boost for Scottish growers' confidence
The availability of Belgravia and Concerto, two new Nickerson malting barley varieties which meet the needs of brewers and distillers, will provide growers in Scotland with renewed confidence in the crop, says their breeder Limagrain UK.
"The recession-led reduction in demand from maltsters and distillers, together with a large carry-over of stocks adversely impacted prices during 2009 and made many growers in Scotland question the crop’s future, concedes Mark Glew. Senior Barley Breeder for Limagrain, a leading breeder of spring barley with an excellent track record of producing successful varieties for European markets.
He states:
"Producing spring malting barley for Scotland’s distillers and maltsters is a major industry with an established infrastructure. The Scottish market amounted to 750,000 tonnes during 2008, so its importance to the country’s arable sector cannot be over-stated. Whilst, superficially, the crop might not currently appear to be a good option, growers should step back from this one, poor season and reflect on the longer-term picture. Demand for Scotch whisky remains strong and is likely to increase in the future, so growers must be able to supply the greater demand when it comes.
"When selecting malting barley varieties for 2010 production growers should take particular care. A series of wet summers, late harvests and dry springs have caused huge variations in performance, producing differing variety ranking orders from site to site. This has made it much harder to choose the right ones for individual farm situations. Growers should therefore review the long-term performance of each variety to obtain a true reflection, rather than basing their decision solely on 2009 results.
"Disease levels throughout Scotland were unusually low last season and the true picture was distorted because some varieties ’got lucky’ in terms of how they performed, including Optic which has dominated the UK malting industry for many years. However, growers in Scotland must remember that the run of mild winters has increased disease pressures and take steps to guard against key diseases such as mildew and Rhynchosporium. Choosing varieties with good natural resistance will make it easier to plan spray programmes and reduce input costs."
Growers looking for good all-round disease resistance could consider Belgravia and Concerto, which have all the attributes for success required by any new malting barley, namely timing to market, strong end-user ’pull’ and clear advantages over established contenders for both end-users and growers.
Belgravia, a Westminster x Minstrel cross which is fully-approved for malt and grain distilling, was specifically selected for growing conditions in Scotland.
In addition to very high yields and good specific weights, it has also demonstrated very good resistance to Ramularia and excellent green leaf retention. Medium-early to mature, Belgravia delivers stable, dependable yield performance, while its high Hot Water Extract, very low levels of Glycosidic Nitrile (GN) and good enzyme activity, make it suitable for malt and grain distilling. Other key features include its medium-length straw, good resistance to lodging, brackling and brown rust, plus excellent resistance to mildew (9) and Rhynchosporium (7).
Although Belgravia will increase the marketing opportunities available in the malt and grain distilling sectors, growers must be aware of local market requirements, decide which sector to aim for and manage the crop to meet the required specifications.
Concerto (Minstrel x Westminster), the first true dual-purpose spring malting barley from the Nickerson breeding programme to meet the requirements of the UK brewing and distilling sectors, also possesses potential for malt and grain exports, confirms Mark Glew.
"Concerto has arrived in the market at just the right time, when yield has become ever more important and securing a malting premium is crucial to malting barley’s profitability. The combination of this variety’s high yield and quality, combined with sound agronomics and multiple marketing options, makes it very attractive. Whereas all varieties other than Optic are use-specific, Concerto has many potential markets. Its very high Hot Water Extract, low grain nitrogen and very low Glycosidic Nitrile make it very attractive to end users.
The brewing and distilling sectors like the extract, maltsters like its yield and good grain quality, it appeals to merchants because its different marketing options enable it to be traded into different outlets, while farmers like to grow what they can sell."
Medium-early to mature, Concerto combines very high yield potential with a good all-round agronomic package. Offering good resistance to lodging and brackling, the variety has excellent resistance to mildew and is similar to Optic in terms of Rhynchosporium and brown rust resistance.
Outlining his view on the malting barley sector, Lee Robinson, Limagrain UK’s Director of Marketing - Arable Seeds, said:
"The long-term performance of malting barley varieties is the key consideration for the future, but the situation is more complicated than that. In recent years, varietal changes in the sector have been yield-driven, but there has been little improvement in quality. New varieties have often had only specific uses, giving growers and users little real choice in terms of which ones they produce or use.
"The Scotch whisky industry still has the stated aim of moving to non-GN producers. Of the current non- or low-GN varieties, Concerto is provisionally approved, Belgravia has the highest yield of the fully-approved low-GN varieties and is fully-approved for malt and grain distilling, while Oxbridge is fully- approved for malt distilling and Decanter is fully-approved for grain distilling.
"Concerto, in particular, has attracted huge interest because of its high hot water extract (4 litre degrees higher than Optic’s) and resultant high alcohol quantity. This year, 4000 to 5000 tonnes of Concerto will be used in UK brewing and distilling trials. That is very encouraging and highlights the variety’s market potential. It has also been provisionally approved by CMBO - the French equivalent of the IBD - which will help to generate demand throughout Europe and potentially provide an export option, while the variety’s competitive yields across Europe demonstrate its adaptability and resilience to climatic variation."
