Versatile new barley varieties just released by Oregon State University could lend subtle malt flavors to craft beer, give consumers more choice in fiber-rich barley foods, and provide high-quality forage production in areas where water is increasingly scarce.
The first new variety, Buck, is a high-yielding winter barley that performs well in a variety of Pacific Northwest conditions, says Patrick Hayes, head of OSU’s barley breeding program. Buck (so named because the kernel is “naked,” lacking an adhering seed hull) stems from a 2003 cross between a hulled feed barley developed at OSU (Strider) and a naked barley from Virginia (Doyce).
The second new variety, BSR-27, is a spring-habit hooded barley stemming from the cross of two stripe rust-resistant varieties released by OSU in the early 2000s: Tango, for livestock feed, and Sara, for forage.
More information is available here: http://oregonstate.edu/ua/ncs/archives/2015/sep/osu’s-new-barley-varieties-appeal-brewers-bakers-and-bovines
