Barley guide released

WA barley growers now have access to a one-stop shop for information to guide their selection of the most appropriate variety to grow next year.

The 2016 Barley Variety Sowing Guide for Western Australia is based on Department of Agriculture and Food WA research and was co-funded by the Grains Research and Development Corporation.

Department barley development officer Georgia Trainor said the guide would be invaluable when deciding which varieties to grow next season and how to manage them.

"The guide provides a range of information, including market feedback, relative grain yield comparisons, disease ratings, and agronomic information," she said.

"It also rates herbicide tolerance for all malting and food barley varieties segregated in WA, and selected feed varieties.

"Improved productivity and profitability by growers is expected to result from their access to a range of information."

Ms Trainor said some interesting new feed barleys would be available for next year, including Commander-derivative Compass, which was being evaluated for malt accreditation, IGB1334T, an imi-tolerant barley with similar traits to La Trobe and Hindmarsh, and Rosalind, a feed variety that may set a new yield benchmark in WA.

The biggest challenge when deciding on a barley variety is the choice between malt, food and feed varieties.

Ms Trainor said there was strong market demand for malt varieties Bass, Scope CL and La Trobe.

"The premium offered for these varieties, combined with their access to receival segregations and specific agronomic requirements, should be carefully considered before deciding to grow any of the new malt and feed varieties," she said.

"Other varieties to watch are the feed variety Oxford and the new malt varieties Flinders and Granger, which are undergoing international market development."

The guide will be posted to growers via GRDC's Groundcover Network magazine.

An electronic version is published on the department's website, agric.wa.gov.au, and the guide is also available on the GRDC website.

The barley information will also be available in the MyCrop Barley mobile app. The app's variety selector module will allow growers to have the information wherever they go.