b'breeder at the time. Now 82, he has since retired, with Brian Rossnagel then adding malt barley to the feed, food and forage breeding aspects of the CDC program. He now too has retired and Aaron Beattie is now the barley breeder at the CDC.After creating CDC Harrington, maltsters and brewers wanted a high enzyme profile. I expected Copeland to occupy maybe 25% of the acres, but I was surprised how far it went, Harvey adds.In the malting and brewing world, CDC Copeland is now king, rivalled only by AC Metcalfe. Copeland is prized by both large adjunct brewers as well as smaller craft brewers for its versatility in creating the base for beer of all kinds, from mass-produced pale lagers to all-malt craft beer styles.At the time of registration, CDC Copeland offered a 12% yield increase over the check Harrington. Also, CDC Copeland was predictably lower in grain protein thanFrom left: In this undated archive photo, Bryan Harvey (left), Janet Weller Metcalfe. The lower grain protein was attractive to manyand Brian Rossnagel are seen doing their work. Photo courtesy CDCproducers since high grain protein was the most common reason that barley was not accepted for malting.As CDC Copeland had a different enzyme package than AC Metcalfe, it had a slow but steady ramp up from 2003-2008, growing to 23% of all two-row malts. Between 2009 and 2015 market share slowly climbed each season, and in 2016after 14 years in the marketCDC Copeland passed AC Metcalfe to become the most widely grown (and selected) malt variety. The dual function of the variety had an impactit gained full acceptance in China, as well as fuelling the growing craft beer market. Today CDC Copeland still offers a competitive yield and agronomic package.SuccessIts done so well in the field. Only some more recent varieties are agronomically better from a farmers point of view, says Rossnagel, now 67.When we applied for registration, several people from the malting and brewing committee said, Yeah, its a nice little variety, but we dont think it will go very far. Its gone a lot further than anyone thought.And therein lies the rub, as the saying goes. Rossnagel notes that CDC Copeland has become a victim of its own success. In the world of brewing, old habits die hard, and both maltsters and brewersto say nothing of farm-ersare hesitant to try new varieties of barley. CDC Copeland has become so prized by brewers that farmers are reluctant to stop growing it, and brewers have become so reliant on the variety in the brewing process that even after almost two decades, they dont want to switch. Brian Harvey was appointed to the Order of Canada in 2006.JANUARY 2020 GERMINATION.CA 17'