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Elite Barley grower program offers malt lessons from 2010

The Elite Barley program, which honors top producers of malt barley in Canada, offers an interesting window into the best management techniques of these elite growers. It also provides an inside view on how they managed to produce malt in a tough weather year on Canada's prairies in 2010.

The "Elite Barley, Canadian Malting Barley Grower Recognition Program," recently named the 10 farmers selected by industry as top producers for the year. The goal of the program is to promote grower best management practices for malting barley, and showcase the value that malt and malt barley bring to Western Canadian agriculture and the Canadian economy.

Michael Edney, of the Canadian Grain Commission, co-chair of the Elite Barley program, says several management techniques emerged from the information collected from these producers during the nomination process.

On the production side, the majority of producers used Certified seed which they indicated helps reduce disease pressures, says Edney. Planning is important and usually includes soils tests. Field selection for malt barley planting is high priority with these growers. Canola stubble is the preferred choice and cereal stubble is never considered an option.

These top growers seed their malting barley as early as possible, and most show a willingness to consider new varieties, which demonstrate producer commitment to producing a quality product.

Straight cutting is preferred at harvest but the decision typically depends on weather and uneven maturity problems. When swathing is required, growers tend to leave barley standing as long as possible and only swath when the window available to allow combining is within a few days. The goal is fewer than four days.

Most growers use production contracts as a method to know more precisely the specifications required, and to guarantee a market when specifications are met.

What was learned from last year's tough weather? "Sampling was one of the most important aspects of producing malt barley in the tough year of 2010," says Edney. "The sample must represent the barley in the bin. Storage with aeration is essential for malting barley. Using small bins allow segregation of varying quality."

The growers nominated for 2010 are: Roger Begrand, St. Louis, Sask.; Ryan and Lauren Maurer, Grenfell, Sask.; Hewson Farm Corp, Langbank, Sask.; Bob Copeland, Rosetown, Sask.; Jeffery Wheaton, Biggar, Sask.; Ironwheel Farms Inc., Shaunavon, Sask.; Howard Linnell, Hafford, Sask.; Bork Farm, Chipman, Alta.; Verdant Hutterite Colony, Drumheller, Alta.; and the Sunshine Hutterite Brethren, Hussar, Alta.

A short article on each grower along with other information on the program is available in an Elite Barley Special Report available at www.elitebarley.com.

The Elite Barley, Canadian Malting Barley Grower Recognition Program, enjoys support from a number of key sponsors. They include: The Alberta Barley Commission, BASF, Brewers Association of Canada, Brewing and Malting Barley Research Institute, Canadian Wheat Board, Prairie Malt, SeCan, Seed-Ex Inc., Syngenta and Rahr Malting Canada Ltd.

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