Barley Variety Guide 2009

Note Number: AG1099
Published: November 2005
Updated: May 2009

 

Background information is provided to commence the decision making process by barley growers towards choosing the most suitable barley varieties to sow.

Selecting a variety

Barley growers have access to a number of barley varieties. Identifying the variety that is best suited to a region and will give the greatest return requires consideration of a number of factors including relative yield, disease resistance, marketing options, the probability of achieving particular quality grades and the relative End Point Royalty (EPR) charged on varieties.

Malting varieties are defined as being suitable for either export or domestic brewing industries: approximately 90% of malting barley produced in Australia is marketed for the export industries and 10% is used by the domestic industries. Hence varieties with an “export brewing quality profile” will generally have greater marketing potential than those with a “domestic brewing quality profile” although regional differences in marketing options will occur.

^a Denotes that Plant Breeder Rights apply to this variety.

Malting varieties

BAUDIN ^a

Baudin is a mid season maturity malting quality variety released by the Western Australian Department of Food and Agriculture (DAFWA) in 2004. Baudin is best suited to the 375-500mm rainfall zone. Yields of Baudin are competitive with Gairdner and superior to Schooner in these areas. Baudin is not recommended to be grown in areas with greater than 500mm average annual rainfall due to leaf disease susceptibility. Baudin grain plumpness is superior to Gardiner but inferior to Schooner. Baudin is shorter than Gairdner at maturity, is less likely to lodge and has excellent head retention. Baudin has a relatively long coleoptile, making it more tolerant of ‘accidental’ deep sowing. Baudin has a high level of tolerance to preharvest sprouting. In terms of disease, Baudin is susceptible to Cereal Cyst Nematode (CCN) and very susceptible to scald, leaf rust and powdery mildew. Baudin is also susceptible to Spot Form of Net Blotch (SFNB). In general Baudin has a poor foliar disease resistance profile. Baudin has an export malt quality profile and is currently the most popular Australian variety in export brewing markets. The EPR (End Point Royalty) for Baudin received as malting is $3.50 per tonne (excl. GST) and received as feed is $1.50 per tonne (excl. GST). Baudin seed is available from AWB Seeds.

BULOKE ^a

Buloke is a mid-season maturity malting variety released by the Department of Primary Industries Victoria (DPIV) in 2004 and is best suited to the 350-450mm rainfall zone. Yields of Buloke are superior to Gairdner and Schooner in lower rainfall districts. Yields of Buloke are inferior to Gairdner in higher rainfall districts. Grain plumpness of Buloke is superior to Gairdner but slightly inferior to Schooner. Buloke has reasonable straw strength, similar to Gairdner, moderately good head retention and has moderate tolerance to pre-harvest sprouting (similar to Gairdner). Buloke has moderately slow early growth and a relatively short coleoptile, resulting in this variety being susceptible to poor establishment if sown too deep. Buloke is susceptible to CCN, moderately susceptible/susceptible to SFNB and leaf rust, moderately susceptible to scald but moderately resistant to Net Form of Net Blotch (NFNB) and powdery mildew. Overall, this represents a good level of foliar disease resistance in the target growing area. Buloke has an export malt quality profile. This variety is currently undergoing market development. Comments from export customers have been extremely positive and the marketing opportunities for this variety are expected to grow. Buloke is available through AWB Seeds and is subject to an EPR of $2.00 for malt and as feed (excl. GST), payable excluding farm saved seed.

COMMANDER ^a

Commander is a mid-season to moderately late maturing variety released by the University of Adelaide in 2008. Commander is best suited to 375-500mm rainfall districts. In seasons with favourable spring finishes Commander is one of the highest yielding varieties available to growers in these districts, however in unfavourable conditions yields of Commander may be significantly lower than earlier maturing varieties. Commander is susceptible to leaf rust and scald, moderately susceptible/susceptible to SFNB, moderately resistant/moderately susceptible to NFNB and powdery mildew and resistant to CCN. Overall this represents a weak level of foliar disease resistance. Commander has outstanding grain plumpness, being superior to all other malt varieties. Commander has moderately weak straw and is susceptible to lodging in high yielding environments. Commander has a domestic malt quality profile, but may have some export market opportunities. Commander is in the early stages of market development and segregation of this variety will be extremely limited in 2009. Commander is subject to an EPR of $3.80/mt (excl. GST), payable on all production excluding farm saved seed. Commander is available through ABB Seeds.

FAIRVIEW

Fairview is a moderately late maturing variety released under contract by Malteurop in 2008. Fairview is best suited to 400-600mm rainfall districts. Yields of Fairview are similar or superior to Gairdner in these districts. The grain plumpness of Fairview is superior to Gairdner. The disease profile of Fairview is yet to be evaluated by the Department of Primary Industries, Victoria. Limited seed is only available under contract through Malteurop, Geelong, for the 2009 season. Fairview has an export malt quality profile and must be marketed through Malteurop.

FLAGSHIP ^a

Flagship is a mid-season maturing variety released by the University of Adelaide in 2006. Flagship is best suited to 350-450mm rainfall districts. Yields of Flagship are slightly higher than Schooner in lower rainfall districts but are inferior to Gairdner in higher rainfall districts. Flagship has moderately good straw strength but is susceptible to head loss if harvest is delayed. Flagship is very susceptible to weather damage at harvest and timely harvest is essential with this variety. Flagship is moderately susceptible/susceptible to leaf rust, moderately susceptible to scald and SFNB, moderately resistant/moderately susceptible to NFNB and powdery mildew and resistant to CCN. Overall this represents a high level of foliar leaf disease resistance in the target growing areas. Flagship shows a high level of symptoms of boron toxicity and this may adversely affect grain size for this variety. Grain plumpness of Flagship is superior to Gairdner but inferior to Schooner and the Sloop types. Flagship has an export malt quality profile. This variety is currently undergoing market development. Comments from export customers have been extremely positive and the marketing opportunities for this variety are expected to grow. Seed is available through ABB Seeds. The EPR for Flagship received as malting is $1.80 per tonne (excl. GST) and received as feed is $1.50 per tonne (excl. GST). Flagship is available through ABB Seeds.

GAIRDNER

Gairdner is a moderately late maturing variety released by DAFWA in 1998. Gairdner is best suited to 400-600mm rainfall districts. In seasons with favourable spring finishes Gairdner can also yield well in lower rainfall districts; in unfavourable spring conditions yields of Gairdner will be lower than early maturing varieties and Gairdner will produce high screenings. For this reason, in lower rainfall districts, Gairdner should be sown early. Gairdner is very susceptible/susceptible to SFNB and scald, moderately susceptible to leaf rust, moderately susceptible/moderately resistant to NFNB and moderately resistant to powdery mildew (in Victoria). Gairdner is also moderately resistant to barley yellow dwarf virus. Gairdner is susceptible to CCN. Gairdner has a moderately poor level of grain plumpness in lower rainfall districts. Gairdner has moderately weak straw and will lodge in high yielding situations. Gairdner has a domestic malt quality profile but has nevertheless been accepted in some export markets. The markets for Gairdner are established and stable at this point in time. Gairdner has no EPR. Seed is available from PlantTech Pty Ltd.

SCHOONER

Schooner is a moderately early to mid-season maturing variety released by the University of Adelaide in 1983. Schooner is best suited to the 325-400mm rainfall districts. In seasons with a dry spring finish yields of Schooner are competitive with newer varieties but yields are significantly lower than other malting varieties in higher yielding environments. Schooner has grain plumpness superior to Gairdner and slightly inferior to Sloop types. Schooner is very susceptible to powdery mildew and leaf rust, susceptible to CCN, moderately susceptible/ susceptible to SFNB and moderately susceptible to scald. Schooner is moderately resistant/ moderately susceptible to NFNB. Schooner continues to be popular with the domestic brewing industry and has a long-standing market into China. Schooner is now considered outclassed by Baudin, Buloke and Flagship for export brewing markets and marketing options in export brewing markets are likely to diminish. Seed is available through ABB Seeds. Schooner has no EPR.

SLOOP

Sloop is a moderately early to mid-season maturing malting variety released by the University of Adelaide in 1997. Sloop is recommended for the 325-400mm rainfall zones. The yields of Sloop are very similar to Schooner, Sloop SA and Sloop Vic in the low to medium rainfall zones. Sloop has excellent grain size, providing good adaptation over a wide range of environments, especially low rainfall environments. Sloop has a very poor disease profile and is very susceptible to powdery mildew and leaf rust, susceptible to scald, SFNB and CCN. There is very little, if any, demand for Sloop in domestic brewing markets and declining demand in export brewing markets. Sloop has been outclassed by Baudin, Buloke and Flagship for export brewing markets. Sloop does not have an EPR.

SLOOP SA

Sloop SA is a moderately early maturing malting variety released by the University of Adelaide 2002. Sloop SA is recommended for the 325-400mm rainfall zones and is essentially a CCN resistant version of Sloop. SloopSA should be considered as an alternative to SloopVic, with superior performance in lower rainfall districts. Sloop SA has excellent grain size (like Sloop) providing good adaptation over a wide range of environments, especially low rainfall environments. Sloop SA is similar to Sloop in terms of early vigour, height, harvestability and standability but has shown a greater tendency for head loss than Sloop. Sloop SA has a weak disease profile and is susceptible to scald, SFNB, powdery mildew and leaf rust. However, SloopSA is resistant to CCN. Market demand for Sloop SA is diminishing. GrainTrust holds the commercial licence for Sloop SA. Seed is no longer being sold of this variety as it has been superseded by Baudin, Buloke and Flagship for export brewing markets. The EPR for Sloop SA received as malting or feed is $1.70 per tonne (excl GST).

SLOOPVic

Sloop Vic is a mid-season maturing malting barley variety (4 days later than Sloop) released by DPIV in 2002. Sloop Vic is recommended for areas with 350-450mm average rainfall and is essentially a CCN resistant version of Sloop. In comparision to Sloop and SloopSA, SloopVic has superior resistance to powdery mildew and superior tolerance to boron toxicity. However, SloopVic is slightly later maturing than SloopSA, with best performance in the southern Mallee and northern Wimmera regions where a CCN resistant malting quality variety is required. Market demand for SloopVic is diminishing. GrainTrust holds the commercial licence to SloopVic. Seed is no longer being sold of this variety as it has been superseded by Baudin, Buloke and Flagship for export brewing markets. The EPR for SloopVic received as malting or feed is $1.70 per tonne (excl. GST).

QUASER

Quaser was a malting variety available only for Barrett Burston Malting. BBM are no longer receiving this variety.

VLAMINGH ^a

Vlamingh is a mid-season maturing malting barley variety released by DAFWA in 2006. Vlamingh is best suited to the 350mm – 500mm rainfall zones. Vlamingh yields are significantly lower than Buloke in all growing regions of Victoria. The grain plumpness of Vlamingh is superior to Buloke. Vlamingh is susceptible to CCN, leaf rust, and powdery mildew and moderately susceptible to SFNB. Seed is available from COGGO Seeds. The EPR for Vlamingh received as malting is $3.50 per tonne (excl. GST) and received as feed is $1.50 per tonne (excl. GST). Vlamingh is not recommended for planting in Victoria and no malting segregations are available.

Feed varieties

BARQUE

Barque is a mid-season maturing feed variety released by the University of Adelaide in 1997. Barque is recommended for the 325-400mm rainfall regions. Yields of Barque are similar to Buloke in the Mallee and Wimmera regions but are inferior to the newer feed varieties Hindmarsh, Fleet and Keel. Barque has vigorous early growth and is relatively tall at harvest. Barque is resistant to CCN, very susceptible to scald and moderately resistant to SFNB. Hindmarsh, Fleet and Keel are replacements for Barque.

CAPSTAN ^a

Capstan is a mid to late maturing feed variety released by the University of Adelaide in 2003. Capstan has excellent grain yield potential in the 400mm plus rainfall regions. Capstan has short, stiff straw with excellent head retention and would be suitable for growers targeting very high potential yields. Capstan has very high screenings in lower rainfall districts. Capstan is resistant to CCN while being susceptible to leaf scald, moderately susceptible/susceptible to SFNB and leaf rust, and moderately resistant to powdery mildew and NFNB. Seed of Capstan is available from ABB Seeds. Capstan is subject to an EPR of $1.50/mt (excl. GST), payable on all production.

COWABBIE ^a

Cowabbie is a mid-season maturity variety released by the NSW DPI in 2004. Cowabbie has a short straw length with good strength and hence is resilient to lodging. Cowabbie is very susceptible to the NFNB, susceptible to the SFNB and moderately resistant to powdery mildew and leaf scald. Due to the presence of alternative higher yielding, malt accredited, varieties Cowabbie is not recommended for planting in Victoria. Seed is available from PlantTech.

FLEET ^a

Fleet is a mid-season maturity feed barley variety that was released in 2004 by the University of Adelaide. Fleet is recommended for the 325-400mm rainfall regions as an alternative to Hindmarsh and Keel. Fleet yields are equal to Keel and less than Hindmarsh in recommended areas for production. Fleet has superior adaptation to deep sandy soils compared to Keel. Fleet is resistant to CCN and moderately resistant/ moderately susceptible to SFNB, NFNB, scald and powdery mildew. In general this represents a high level of foliar disease resistance and hence makes Fleet a good choice when planting back on barley in lower rainfall districts. Fleet has improved physical grain quality compared to Keel and Barque but has lower test weights than Hindmarsh. Seed is available through ABB Seeds. Fleet has no EPR.

KEEL ^a

Keel is an early maturing, feed quality, barley variety released by the University of Adelaide in 1999. Keel is recommended for the 325-400mm rainfall regions. Keel performs best on heavy soil types although is not recommended for sand soil types with low fertility. Keel produces plump grain similar to Barque, along with low screenings but has low test weights. Keel is a shorter plant type compared to Barque and Fleet. Keel has good head retention and is easier to thresh than Barque. Keel is resistant to CCN and moderately resistant to the SFNB and NFNB, while being very susceptible to leaf rust. Keel seed is licensed to ABB Grain. There is no EPR on Keel barley.

HINDMARSH ^a

Hindmarsh is an early maturing semi-dwarf feed variety with exceptional yield potential, especially in drier years. Hindmarsh was released by the Department of Primary Industries Victoria in 2006. Hindmarsh is recommended for the 325-450mm rainfall regions. Hindmarsh long term (2000-2008) yields are the highest of any barley variety for the Mallee, Wimmera and North central regions of Victoria. Hindmarsh is CCN resistant, but susceptible to SFNB and moderately susceptible to powdery mildew and leaf rust. Hindmarsh is free threshing and has good resistance to head loss, significantly better than Schooner. Hindmarsh has excellent grain plumpness and also has the highest test weight of any feed variety. Hindmarsh is undergoing commercial malting evaluation trials but any possible accreditation could not take place prior to 2011. Seed is available through AWB Seeds. The EPR as a feed variety is $1.65 per tonne (incl. GST), but would become $2.20 per tonne (incl. GST) if it became a malting variety.

MARITIME ^a

Maritime is an early maturing variety released by the University of Adelaide in 2004. Maritime is recommended for the 375mm-450mm regions. Maritime was developed specifically for the manganese deficient lower Yorke Peninsula region of South Australia where it exhibits a yield advantage over other feed varieties. Maritime is an alternative to Barque and Keel, especially in areas with low soil manganese or where there is difficulty in obtaining high test weights. Test weights of Maritime are superior to Barque and Keel. Maritime has a larger grain size compared to Hindmarsh, Keel and Fleet. Maritime is resistant to CCN, susceptible to scald and powdery mildew and moderately susceptible to SFNB. Seed is available from ABB Seeds. The EPR is $1.50 per tonne (excl. GST)

TANTANGARA

Tantangara is a mid-season maturity feed barley with short strong straw. It is susceptible to CCN, SFNB and powdery mildew but resistant to scald in many areas. Tantangara is best suited to New South Wales regions and is not recommended for planting in Victoria. There is no EPR applicable.

TULLA ^a

Tulla is a semi-dwarf mid-season maturity feed variety released by NSW DPI in 2003. Tulla is best suited to the 375-450mm rainfall regions. Tulla has good straw strength and is acid soil tolerant (pH CaCl2 4.5-5.5). Tulla is moderately resistant/moderately susceptible to the SFNB and moderately susceptible to NFNB and susceptible to powdery mildew. Yield data suggests Tulla has a limited role in Victoria. Seed is available from Waratah Seeds.

YARRA ^a

Yarra is a moderately late maturing feed variety with prostrate early growth habit developed by DPIV in 2005. It is best adapted in regions with 375-450mm annual rainfall, and was released to provide a leaf rust resistant feed barley for growers on the Yorke and Lower Eyre Peninsula of South Australia. Yarra has equal or higher hectolitre weight compared to all other feed varieties and excellent grain plumpness. Yarra is CCN resistant. Yarra is very susceptible to powdery mildew and leaf scald, moderately susceptible to NFNB but moderately resistant to SFNB and resistant to leaf rust. Seed is available through ABB Seeds. The EPR is $1.50 per tonne (excl. GST)

Acknowledgements

Dr Grant Hollaway, Senior Cereal Pathologist, DPI, Horsham

Mr Geoff Stratford, Grains Team, DPI, Horsham

Mr David Moody, Senior Research Scientist, DPI, Horsham

A previous version of this Agnote was published in November 2005, redrafted in April 2006 April 2008 and updated in April 2009 by Mary Raynes, Farm Services Victoria, Horsham.

 

Growing areas

Table 1. Suitability of varieties to Victorian cropping regions.

Variety	Quality	Low Rainfall (<350 mm)	Medium Rainfall (350-450 mm)	High Rainfall (>450 mm)
Baudin	Malting		Yes
Buloke	Malting	Yes	Yes
Commander	Malting		Yes	Yes
Fairview	Malting			Yes
Flagship	Malting	Yes	Yes
Franklin	Malting			Yes
Gairdner	Malting		Yes	Yes
Quasar	Malting*		Yes	Yes
Schooner	Malting	Yes	Yes
Sloop	Malting	Yes	Yes
SloopSA	Malting	Yes
SloopVic	Malting		Yes
Vlamingh	Malting*		Yes
Barque	Feed	Yes	Yes
Capstan	Feed		Yes
Cowabbie	Feed	Yes	Yes
Fleet	Feed	Yes	Yes
Hindmarsh	Feed	Yes	Yes
Keel	Feed	Yes
Maritime	Feed	Yes
Tulla	Feed		Yes
Unicorn	Feed	Yes	Yes
Urambie	Feed	Yes
Yarra	Feed		Yes

* No segregation available in Victoria

 

Yield

Table 2: Long term yield performance data for 2000-2008 for Victorian regions expressed as a percentage of the yield of Schooner (Mallee) or Gairdner. The numbers in brackets indicate the number of site years in that area.

	Main Season					Long Season
	Mallee	Wimmera	North Central	North East	South West	South West
Gairdner t/ha		2.72	2.92	4.08	2.17	5.46
Schooner t/ha	2.38
MALTING BARLEY
Baudin	101(52)	101(31)	99(13)	98(9)	90(6)	94(14)
Buloke	110(46)	104(25)	104(11)	101(8)	102(5)	*
Commander	111(45)	106(25)	105(11)	105(8)	103(5)	102(9)
Dash	*	*	*	*	*	106(11)
Flagship	102(39)	97(20)	96(11)	94(7)	90(4)	88(3)
Franklin	85(45)	86(38)	89(15)	90(14)	85(10)	92(26)
Gairdner	100(68)	100(41)	100(15)	100(14)	100(11)	100(26)
Quaser		95(16)	96(6)	98(3)	*	*
Schooner	100(70)	92(41)	93(15)	90(14)	87(11)	*
Sloop	101(55)	94(35)	96(9)	93(11)	91(10)	*
FEED BARLEY
Barque	109(70)	101(41)	101(9)	99(11)	96(10)	*
Capstan	109(22)	107(25)	102(11)	103(8)	98(5)	104(15)
Cowabbie	102(10)	99(10)	*	98(3)	*	96(8)
Fleet	113(23)	109(10)	109(6)	105(3)	*	100(3)
Grout	107(23)	101(10)	*	*	*	*
Hindmarsh	121(23)	115(12)	111(6)	105(4)	106(3)	*
Keel	113(66)	109(37)	103(15)	99(14)	93(9)	*
Maritime	108(30)	101(15)	*	*	*	92(11)
Tantangara	103(21)	104(15)	99(4)	100(6)	95(4)	99(5)
Torrens	90(15)	80(9)	*	82(4)	*	*
Tulla	103(3)	*	*	*	*	97(3)
Urambie	*	*	*	*	*	102(5)
Vlamingh	101(22)	98(9)	100(4)	*	*	93(15)
Yarra	108(53)	103(31)	101(13)	101(11)	99(5)	95(6)

Source: NVT Online (National Variety Trials) www.nvtonline.com.au

 

Disease

Table 3: Barley variety disease reactions.

	Leaf scald	Net blotch		Powdery mildew	Leaf rust	BYDV	Cereal cyst nematode		Root lesion nematode				Barley grass stripe rust
									p. neglectus		p. thornei
		Spot	Net				Res	Tol	Res	Tol	Res	Tol
MALTING BARLEY
Baudin	S-VS	S	MS#	S-VS	VS	MR	S	T	-	-	-	-	R
Buloke	S	MS-S	MR-MS	MR-MS	MS-S	S*	S	T	-	-	-	-	R
Commander	S	MS-S	MR-MS	MR-MS	S	S	R	T				T-MT	R
Flagship	MS	MS	MR-MS	MR-MS	MS-S	S	R	T	R	-	MR-MS	T	R
Gairdner	S-VS	S-VS	MR-MS	MR	MS-S	MR	S	T	MR	MT	MR-MS	I	R
Schooner	MS	MS-S	MR-MS	VS	S-VS	S	S	T	MR-MS	MT	R	MT	R
Sloop	S	S	MR-MS	VS	VS	S	S	T	MS	T	MR	T	R
SloopSA	S	S	MR	VS	S	S	R	T	MS	MT	R	-	R
SloopVic	S	MS-S	MR	MR-MS	MS	S	R	T	MS	MT	R	-	R
Vlamingh	MR-MS	MS-S	MR	S	S	MS	S	T	-	-	-	-	R
FEED BARLEY
Barque	VS	MR	MS	MR-MS	MS-S	S	R	T	R-MR	MT	MR	MT	MR
Capstan	S	MS-S	MR-MS	MR	MS-S	S	R	T	MR	T	-	-	MR
Fleet	MR-MS	MR-MS	MR-MS	MR-MS	MS	S	R	T	-	-	-	MT	R
Hindmarsh	MR	S	MR-MS#	MS	MS	S	R	T	-	-	-	-	R
Keel	MS	MR	MR	MS	VS	S	R	T	MR	T	MR	-	MS
Maritime	S	MS	MR	S	MS	S	R	T	MR	T	-	-	S
Tantangara	MR-MS	S-VS	MS	VS	MR-MS	S	S	T	-	-	-	T-MT	S
Yarra	S-VS	MS-S	MR-MS	S-VS	R	S	R	T	-	-	-	-	R

 

# Varieties marked may no longer be resistant due to the occurrence of new races making these varieties susceptible. * These ratings are less reliable and should be treated with caution
Disease resistance; R = resistant, MR = moderately resistant, T = tolerant, MT = moderately tolerant , MS = moderately susceptible, S = susceptible, VS = very susceptible
* These ratings are less reliable and should be treated with caution
Disease resistance; R = resistant, MR = moderately resistant, T = tolerant, MT = moderately tolerant , MS = moderately susceptible, S = susceptible, VS = very susceptible