USA, North Dakota: A new Institute of Barley and Malt Sciences is being developed at North Dakota State University, to try to help researchers and barley growers expand their market, Associated Press posted on March 10. "Compared to other institutions around the U.S., we have a very complete program in barley," said Paul Schwarz, an NDSU professor of plant sciences. "We're able to address problems in a multidisciplinary manner."

North Dakota leads the nation in barley production, harvesting 80 million bushels per year. Roughly 80 percent of the state's barley is specific malting varieties, Schwarz said. The majority of that is brewed into beer and malt beverages, while the rest goes into such foods as bread, bagels and cereals, he said.

Jim Broten, chairman of the North Dakota Barley Council, said the new institute should benefit malting and brewing companies, including Cargill Malt, which operates a large malting plant near Spiritwood, and Busch Agricultural Resources, which has four elevators in the state and operates a malting plant in neighboring Moorhead, Minn.

"Anything to help create a better market for malt, to help them create a better barley for their business - that's why we're getting good industry support," he said. Broten, a barley farmer near Dazey, said he hopes the institute will serve as a world-class research center to boost barley yields and curb disease, and also as a teaching center to expand the worldwide barley market.

While Europe is well known for training maltsters in the art of dark beers, consumers in the United States, Latin America and Southeast Asia tend to prefer a lighter beer, which requires different malting and brewing properties, Broten said. "Nobody's teaching that technology," he said. "If we can bring these people in, we can help development a larger market for our barley and our malt by teaching them." The institute also will focus on feed barley to support the livestock industry, he said.

The institute has about $550,000 in grants from the Barley Council, NDSU and other sources. It will be part of NDSU's College of Agriculture, Food Systems and Natural Resources. A board of directors made up of representatives from the Barley Council, the American Barley Malting Association, North Dakota and Montana agricultural experiment stations and the barley malting industry will review the institute's work.

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