Australia
February 23, 2009
Barley growers, maltsters and brewers have a new variety to consider for their malting production choices following the accreditation for malting of the University of Adelaide-bred variety Commander.
Barley Australia is the industry body charged with the responsibility of national varietal accreditation for malting barley and has this week received recommendation from national barley technical evaluation body MBIBTC (Malting and Brewing Industry Barley Technical Committee) after two years of commercial malting and GRDC-sponsored pilot brewing through the Pilot Brewing Australia program.
Barley Australia chairman David Thomas said the elevation of Commander to malting status offered the marketplace increased choice in quality Australian malting barleys.
“This variety is ready to go to the market place complete with quality data that has been endorsed by the Australian malting and brewing industry following the comprehensive evaluation it has been through.
“Because of this, it enables purchasers to have confidence in the processing performance of the parcel they buy, as well signal to growers that this variety is able to be processed into quality malt and beer,” Mr Thomas said.
“Being a newly accredited variety it is important for the barley industry to work together stepping production of Commander with market sales to customers,” Mr Thomas said.
The commercialization rights of Commander have been assigned to Adelaide-based ABB Seeds. Growers are encouraged to talk to their seed re-sellers, marketers and storage companies regarding the production of Commander in their area and the industry will look to grow new varieties in a measured manner so as to match demand from customers with production from growers.
Barley breeder Dr Jason Eglinton from the University of Adelaide said the variety exhibited broad adaptation and is suited to most regions of Australia targeting 2-6t/ha and showed outstanding grain size.
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