Identifying Adapted Lines and Favorable Environments for Malt Barley Production in Texas.

Around the 1960s, barley (Hordeum vulgare) was grown on nearly 170,372 hectares (ha) throughout Texas. Today, it is planted on less than 12,000 ha and is mainly used as a feed and forage source for livestock. In recent years, interest in craft breweries, local malt ingredients, and feed barley for a growing dairy industry in the Texas High Plains has increased the popularity of barley. Testing is required to find barley lines adapted to Texas climates that can withstand drought, disease and pest pressure. The purpose of this study was to evaluate and identify adapted barley lines for feed and malting purposes under multiple environments across different growing regions of Texas. The specific objectives of this study were to 1) Evaluate and identify superior TCAP (Triticae Coordinated Agricultural Project) barley lines for yield and malt quality in Texas environments, 2) Determine desirable phenotypic characteristics for barley grown in Texas and 3) Evaluate the economic feasibility of barley production in Texas. Winter, facultative, spring two- and spring six-row barley was evaluated over Harvest Years 2014, 2015 and 2016. In-field and lab evaluations were taken over the growing and harvest seasons. Statistical analysis of data was conducted to determine relationships among measured field, yield and grain quality parameters across environments. By testing various TCAP barley lines and comparing them to commercially available varieties, the project will contribute new information on lines adapted to varying Texas environments. Compared to other small grains, barley is more drought and salt tolerant and may be a desirable option for high-salinity soils and drought-prone regions of the state. By identifying adapted lines that can be released as commercial varieties in Texas, this research may increase yield potential and profitability of barley versus other crops. Increasing barley acres could potentially improve food security by increasing food production under stressful environments.