Breeding dual-purpose forage/feed barley for western Canada at agriculture and agri-food Canada’s Brandon research centre

This Barley Research Cluster project was funded by Alberta Barley in collaboration with the Atlantic Grains Council, the Brewing and Malting Barley Research Institute, Rahr Malting and the Western Grains Research Foundation via the AgriInnovation Program.

Project lead: Dr. Ana Badea, Research Scientist, Barley Breeding Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

Start Date: April 2013

End Date: March 2018

Alberta Barley’s contribution:  project management
Total funding from other partners: $210,069

Benefits for barley farmers:
The germplasm currently developed by the program could result in new cultivars that could increase the profitability and competitiveness of the entire barley industry through higher yields, improved disease resistance and enhanced forage/feed quality.

Summary:
The project aims to develop six-row forage/feed barley cultivars for Western Canada, with improved disease resistance and agronomic performance with enhanced quality traits, in order to meet farmers’ needs and to contribute to their economic benefit. Emphasis has been placed on developing barley germplasm with improved resistance to Fusarium head blight and Ug99 stem rust, as well as tolerance to waterlogging.