Canada: New tool can help predict malt barley shelf life

There's nothing worse than holding a bin of previously selected malt barley only to have it rejected prior to delivery because it's gone out of condition, according to CWB.

Unfortunately, in the absence of dormancy, Canadian malting barley varieties can undergo incipient pre-germination in the field under wet conditions. Barley that has been subjected to incipient pre-germination will lose its germ potential during storage much more quickly than dry and dormant grain.

Peter Burnett, director of the Canadian Grain Commission's (CGC) Grain Research Laboratory (GRL), says farmers and the malt industry all need to know the storage potential of designated barley.

"Incipient pre-germination cannot be detected through visual inspection," says Burnett. "There was a clear need for a rapid and objective test."

A number of groups in the malt barley industry have worked on a research project which can help predict in advance when stored barley
is in danger of losing germination.

Project participants included the CGC GRL, the Canadian Wheat Board (CWB), Automated Quality Testing (AQT), Cargill, Agricore United and Sask Wheat Pool. Marta Izydorczyk, program manager for barley research at the GRL, led the project.

Michael Brophy, a malt barley technical expert who works in the CWB's Product Development and Marketing Support Department, says the technique uses rapid visco analysis (RVA), and it is similar to the RVA technique to predict falling number in wheat, which measures elevated alpha amylase levels in the kernels. Grain kernels that have received an environmental trigger prior to actual germination produce this material.

The research work conducted by the GRL found that there was a direct correlation between the RVA value and how long selected barley could be stored while maintaining acceptable germination levels. Length of germination viability is also related to storage conditions, humidity and temperature as well as the moisture content of grain.

"This is an issue that's a major concern to both farmers and selectors - loss of condition in selected barley before it's delivered," Brophy says. "Everyone wants more certainty and predictability."

By measuring the increase in amylase level that has been triggered in some lots of barley, selectors could better predict when barley is in danger of going below the required minimum 95 per cent germination. This would allow them to call it into the processing system, where it can be used prior to going out of condition, Brophy says.

"This is a tool that has the potential to help the industry make better judgements," Brophy says. "While the initial research has proven that it can be used in the future as a good management tool, the grain industry is still only examining how these RVA instruments can be used in practice.

"Growers are encouraged to talk to their local barley selector about it and discuss if and when this test will be available to help in the selector-grower discussions on management during storage and agreed delivery period."

Peter Burnett, director of the CGC's Grain Research Laboratory, says RVA shows good potential to help the malting industry manage storage risks.
"The method we have developed will help companies make better decisions and reduce risk for everyone," Burnett says.

One of the most recent CWB Pool Return Outlook (PRO) shows a price differential of $44 a tonne between feed barley and SS CW Two Row barley and $39 per tonne between feed barley and Std Sel Two-Row. That spread translates into significant lost revenue every year for farmers who's selected malting barley loses germination during storage.

Funding for the project came from a variety of industry sources, including the CWB, through its commitment to participate in the development of reliable automated quality testing.

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