2011 Annual Report 1a.Objectives (from AD-416) Develop improved malting barley cultivars 1b.Approach (from AD-416) Utilizing existing testing locations and off-season winter nurseries for the F2 and F4 generations, populations will be advanced to the F5 generation in bulk and F5:6 lines derived for yield evaluation. Lines will be derived from plants as opposed to spikes, and will therefore begin yield evaluation directly following derivation. The necessity to pull individual plants is the reason for the large majority of salary documented in this form. Approximately 350 crosses covering both winter and spring backgrounds will be made each spring and spring populations advanced as previously discussed. Winter populations will be advanced in bulk under field conditions, except for specific populations which may be advanced in the greenhouse. Quality evaluation for malt quality will begin with the advanced yield trials, following at least two years of prior yield evaluation. 3.Progress Report This agreement contributes to the parent project objective 3a aimed at developing improved spring and winter malt barley cultivars. During the 2010 season good yield and agronomic data was obtained from all spring locations. Winter plots at Filer were better than in previous years, although yields were not as high as previously recorded. The 2010 malt quality data was received for about 10 percent of submissions to the Cereal Crops Research Unit in Madison, Wisconsin, thus the information for malt quality is incomplete for the year. Preliminary 2-Row Spring Malts data has been received and some entries that show great promise for quality. Malt quality is being evaluated on entries from Aberdeen, Filer, Idaho Falls, Soda Springs, Idaho and Fairfield, Montana. This scheme allows us to reduce costs and is within the program’s quota from the Cereal Crops Research Unit for samples tested. Monitoring of projects are done via site visits, phone conversations, e-mail, and written reports.