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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Ithaca, New York » Robert W. Holley Center for Agriculture & Health » Plant, Soil and Nutrition Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #310277
Title: Barley

Author
item BLAKE, THOMAS - Montana State University
item Blake, Victoria
item WIERSMA, JOCHIM - University Of Minnesota

Submitted to: Book Chapter
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/20/2013
Publication Date: 9/12/2014
Citation: Blake, T.K., Blake, V.C., Wiersma, J. 2014. Barley. In: Smith, S., Diers, B., Specht, B., Carver, B. editors. Yield Gains in Major U.S. Field Crops. Madison, WI: ASA, CSSA, and SSSA. 33:1-12.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The U.S. malting and brewing industries are America’s largest consumers of barley, purchasing more than one-half of the U.S. barley grain crop. More than 70% of the hectares seeded to barley are seeded to cultivars recommended by the American Malting Barley Association (AMBA). The malting and brewing industries are more concerned with crop quality and consistency than yield and are slow to adopt new cultivars. Since barley selected for malting commands a substantially higher farmgate price than does feed barley (often a two-fold difference), most barley growers prefer the recommended malting barley cultivars. The growth of low- and no-till cropping systems coupled with effective management of soil nutrition contributed to barley yield gains over the past two decades. These gains, together with the CRP-mediated reduction of production in truly marginal hectares, are likely responsible for more of the yield gains observed over the past 50 years than is cultivar improvement.